Dave Lampson wrote:

>The term "Kronos-phobe" implies an irrational fear, and is simply
>inappropriate in a context where rational, thoughtful reasons are being
>given for disliking the work of these musicians.

Sorry for the poor choice of word -- I didn't mean anything particular by
it, just "people who get very hot under the collar when expressing their
dislike of this particular group," with a slight suggestion of puzzlement
as to why four people whose bag is sawing on string instruments strike so
many people as heralding the Decline of the West.  But then again, CM is
a topic which, as we often see, excites strong passions for and against.

>What they lack, however, could fill volumes.  Their tone is harsh, even
>when it's clear it shouldn't be (I'm aware of the special requirements
>of some of their repertoire).  Their blend and ensemble playing is a
>shambles.  That they generally avoid the competitive repertoire (ex.,
>Bartok, Shostakovich, etc.) is wise for I am convinced it would soon become
>clear they play at the level of, at best, a mediocre amateur ensemble.

I'm ashamed to say that my ears are probably totally unfit for judging
the quality of string playing.  I confess to being an ignorant boor in
this area, and hereby abase my self in the dust.  But still, quivering with
fear, I beg leave to mumble that, to me, they sound at least as good as any
other professional quartet -- they manage to keep together well enough, and
I don't hear anything egregiously inferior in their tone.  I think they do
quite a good job on Adams' "John's Book of Alleged Dances," a delightful
suite (Nonesuch 79465-2).  This kind of attack on their technical abilities
seems to me greatly exaggerated, but I suppose that those who really
understand string quartets will disagree.

>And all of this is true independent of the fact that their choice of
>repertoire is horrific.
>
>Now, I'm not saying this repertoire shouldn't be heard ...

Why not, if it's horrific? (And I don't see how that applies, for example,
to "John's Book," a rather sweet collection of tidbits.) I continue to
maintain that the main reason so many people dislke this group so strongly
is that they have a visceral reaction against the kinds of stuff the Kronos
likes to play.  So in that case, why not just say "it's not my cup of tea,"
shrug your shoulders, and leave them strictly alone?

>It's just that it appears to me that Kronos' main appeal is they will play
>music few others would touch.

Not really true, I think.  They are noted for pioneering "Black Angel," but
it has been done by others as well.  And the genre of CM transcriptions of
rock is fairly well established.  Certainly, I can take rock in this dress
much better than in its original form.  "Pieces of Africa," which I find
quite interesting, was a sort of pioneer venture in the area of CM + "world
music," which is doing quite well these days.

All in all, I take them quite seriously as musicians, and don't really
understand why nearly everyone else sees them as clowns.  It's like a
reverse Emperor's New Clothes; everyone else can see they are naked, and
only I can see the threads.  Could someone explain what is wrong with me?
I'm beginning to doubt my sanity!

Dave used a term which strikes me more and more curioser as I think about
it:  "competitive repertoire." I guess this is another one of my personal
quirks, certainly not shared by the majority of posters to the list, but
I don't like to think of art, and especially music, as a competitive
enterprise, like sports or business.  To me, it is the realm of individual
imagination, above all else.

And that goes not only for composition but also for performance.  Every
performance, if it is not a robotic, "phoned-in" one, is an expression
of the performer's vision, at that particular moment, of how that piece
should sound.  It will, of course, appeal to some listeners more than to
others, but in a sense that is irrelevant to what music is really about:
a musician must first of all please herself or himself, and one "competes"
with oneself, if at all.  Of course, there are plenty of incompetent
performers around who butcher Beethoven and maul Mozart, but why waste
your energy landing on them like a ton of bricks? Seek out the musical
experiences that inspire and delight you, and forget about the rest.
Life is just to short for all this mean-spirited chatter.

I get rather disheartened sometimes, looking through the many posts on
this list in which people fiercely duel over whose performance of work X
is "best." To me, this is all beside the point.  But I suppose I am just
getting old and tired, and don't have the stamina to cut the mustard in
this particular sport.

There -- got that off my chest, and I feel much better now.

Jon Johanning // [log in to unmask]