KRONOS QUARTET AND WU MAN, PIPA; Terry Riley, "The Cusp of Magic" (Nonesuch)
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Composer Terry Riley and the Kronos Quartet have had a long collaboration. In the quartet's 35-year history, Riley has written some 20 works for the group, all of them fascinating and uniquely original.
Of course, one expects something out of the ordinary where the Kronos Quartet is concerned — after all, it's been on the cutting edge of quartet music since it was formed in 1973. And when one adds Riley to the mix, the result is revolutionary and revelatory.
Riley's "The Cusp of Magic" was commissioned by the Kronos Quartet to celebrate Riley's 70th birthday in 2005. The title is intended to describe the arrival of the summer solstice and the transition from Gemini to Cancer (Riley's Zodiac sign).
This is an utterly compelling work that is mystical, mysterious and, yes, magical. Riley utilizes different elements — blues, ragas, minimalism and Native American folk traditions — to create a potently rich musical language. The music is hypnotic and draws the listener into a different state of being. One can no longer speak of a concert piece. Instead, "The Cusp of Magic" is ritual.
The Kronos Quartet and pipa player Wu Man, all of whom also play drums and toy instruments to add to the already colorful score, give a powerful performance in which they capture the rhythmic complexities of the music as well as every tiny nuance and inflection. "The Cusp of Magic" is a gorgeously expressive work, and their account is wonderfully eloquent, lyrical and exquisitely poetic.
E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com