Kronos is once again profiled in anticipation of a performance.
On its MySpace page, the Kronos Quartet describes itself as “experimental/classical/other” – and it’s in the “other” where lies the essence of the group’s achievement. When violinist David Harrington formed the group in 1973, the idea of a string quartet focusing almost exclusively on living composers was implausible. But a string quartet dressing mod, using video and lighting designs, and covering Hendrix tunes? Unthinkable.
Kronos did that and more, years before it became de rigueur. The quartet revolutionized what a chamber-music group could be, and it wasn’t just the hip appearance. Kronos is responsible for bringing into being hundreds of pieces, among them seminal works by Morton Feldman, Henryk Górecki, Steve Reich, and Osvaldo Golijov. They essentially created their own avant-garde.
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