Hear unusual music for string quartet on this program, as Australian composer Andrew Byrne, now based in New York, uses the string quartet as a percussion instrument in his work called “Striking.” Then, listen to Bang on a Can All-Star saxman, clarinetist and composer Ken Thomson’s work for the JACK Quartet, “THAW.” There’s also folk-informed music from the singer, songwriter and composer Aoife O Donovan as played by Brooklyn Rider. Hear string quartet music by multi-instrumentalist composer Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ, who plays a traditional Vietnamese string instrument on “Green River Delta,” in collaboration with Kronos Quartet. Plus, hear a work from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Luther Adams that uses the string quartet as an ambient music ensemble, relying upon harmonics and on tones played on open strings. That, and more.

PROGRAM #3686 Music for String Quartet (First aired on 1/21/2015)  

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Ken Thomson (JACK quartet)

THAW

Thaw, excerpt [1:41 ]

Cantaloupe Records 21095 bangonacan.org

Members of Either/Or Ensemble

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Andrew Byrne: Striking Parts 1 & 2 [7:32 ]

Available for purchase directly through composer here: andrewbyrne.com

JACK Quartet

John Luther Adams: The Wind in High Places

John Luther Adams: The Wind in High Places - Above Sunset Pass [7:24 ]

Cold Blue Music CBM 41 coldbluemusic.com

Ken Thomson (JACK quartet)

THAW

THAW: Thaw [10:55 ]

Cantaloupe Music 21095 bangonacan.org

Brooklyn Rider

Almanac

Aoife O'Donovan: Show Me [4:56 ]

Mercury Classics / In A Circle Records #002159302 mercuryclassics.com Available at iTunes, Amazon.com, Emusic.com

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ with Kronos Quartet

 Three-Mountain Pass

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ: Green River Delta/Luu Thuy Truong [4:40 ]

Innova 866 innova.mu  

Members of Either/Or Ensemble

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Andrew Byrne: Striking Parts 3 & 4 [8:30 ]

Available for purchase directly through composer here: andrewbyrne.com