From the joviality of Haydn to the darkness of Shostakovich, the string quartet has served for hundreds of years as the pinnacle of musical expression in chamber music. But what about string quartets written in modern times — which of them can stand alongside the greatest of the past?
The vast repertoire of works recorded (and often commissioned) by the Kronos Quartet comes immediately to mind. Favorites include the 1990 album “Black Angels,” featuring George Crumb’s Vietnam War-inspired quartet by the same name written in 1970. Dark, powerful, and at times difficult to listen to, “Black Angels” is an unstoppable force that demands your attention – and was the impetus for violinist David Harrington to found Kronos in 1973.
On the other end of the emotional spectrum is Kronos’s collection of works by Philip Glass. Released in 1995, the album features Glass’s second through fifth string quartets (as of this writing, the group has never recorded the first). It is the String Quartet No. 3, “Mishima,” written for Paul Schrader’s exceptional 1985 biopic “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters,” that especially catches the ear with remarkable warmth and sensitivity. A true favorite.
Many other Kronos albums are praiseworthy, especially the 1989 recording of Steve Reich’s “Different Trains”; the 1994 album “Night Prayers” featuring Franghiz Ali-Zadeh’s extraordinary “Mugam Sayagi”; and of course Clint Mansell’s hair-raising soundtrack to Darren Aronofsky’s 2000 film “Requiem for a Dream.” Kronos’s entire oeuvre is worth considering for a mile-long list of favorite string quartets by contemporary composers. It’s virtually impossible to pick just one.
Now it’s your turn — what’s your favorite string quartet written by a contemporary composer?
