Good Medicine from powers to actually create peace in the world. Commissioned originally for a ’s So Salome in this case becomes like a goddess children’s concert, I wanted to compose a Salome Dances for Peace who—drawn out of antiquity, having done evil piece that could appeal at once to audiences (1986) kinds of deeds—reincarnates and is trained of varying age, experience, and affinity for levity, as a sorceress, as a shaman. And through her gravity, whimsy, and rigor—something worthy of Terry Riley (b. 1935) dancing, she is able to become both a warrior a “Darmstadt kindergarten.” and an influence on the world leaders’ actions. —Mark Applebaum Terry Riley first came to prominence in 1964 when he subverted the world of tightly organized I’m always trying to find ways that I can, besides Mark Applebaum’s Darmstadt Kindergarten atonal composition then in fashion. With the doing music, contribute to world peace, or groundbreaking —a work built upon steady was commissioned for the Kronos Quartet maybe neighborhood peace or home peace. I pulse throughout, simple repeated melodic by the David Harrington Research and told David when we first started that I thought motives, and static harmonies—Riley achieved Development Fund. we ought to create a piece that can be played an elegant and non-nostalgic return to tonality. at the United Nations on special holidays. It In demonstrating the hypnotic allure of complex would not be just a concert piece but a piece Oberek for Terry Riley musical patterns made of basic means, he that could be played as a rite. (2015) produced the seminal work of the so-called —Terry Riley “minimal” school. Aleksander Kosciów (b. 1974) Terry Riley’s Salome Dances for Peace was Riley’s facility for complex pattern-making Oberek for Terry Riley was written for the Kronos is the product of his virtuosity as a keyboard commissioned for Kronos by IRCAM (the Quartet as a musical gift to celebrate Terry improviser. He quit formal composition Institute for Research and Coordination in Riley’s 80th birthday. Its inspiration comes from following In C in order to concentrate on Acoustics/Music) and Betty Freeman, and one of the most characteristic Polish dances, improvisation, and in the late 1960s and early recorded by Kronos for Nonesuch Records. the oberek, known for its endless trance-like 1970s he became known for weaving dazzlingly repetitiveness and vigorous circle-shaped intricate skeins of music from improvisations Darmstadt Kindergarten motion—features which appear here as a tribute on organ and . At this time, Riley (2015) to Riley, who has made both repetitiveness and also devoted himself to studying North Indian reduced material one of the most prominent Mark Applebaum vocal techniques under the legendary Pandit (b. 1967) and productive mechanisms in contemporary , and a new element entered his musical language. The need for pure joy is a Darmstadt Kindergarten consists of a music: long-limbed melody. From his work in human, natural expression, taking shape in seventeen-measure “theme” composed in two dance and music—a simple truth known by Indian music, moreover, he became interested versions: instrumental and choreographic. The everyone—and this is what the piece hopes to in the subtle distinctions of tuning that would instrumental version is played conventionally on be hard to achieve with a traditional classical serve for such a great occasion. two violins, viola, and cello; the choreographic ensemble. —Aleksander Kościów version calls for the players to substitute silent Riley began notating music again in 1979, hand gestures—lavishly described in the score Aleksander Kościów’s Oberek for Terry Riley expressly at David Harrington’s request, —for their instrumental sounds. was commissioned for the Kronos Quartet when both he and the Kronos Quartet were The instrumental “theme” is repeated five by the David Harrington Research and on the faculty at in Oakland. times in immediate succession. During each Development Fund. By collaborating with Kronos, he discovered successive statement one additional player is that his various musical passions could be permanently removed from the instrumental No. 3, integrated, not as pastiche, but as different group and instead plays the choreographic sides of similar musical impulses that still The Mezzanine (2012) version. The hand gestures are executed maintained something of the oral performing at precise moments corresponding to the Nathaniel Stookey (b. 1970) traditions of India and . Riley’s first quartets rhythms from the player’s instrumental part. were inspired by his keyboard improvisations, Darmstadt Kindergarten is thus a piece that is We composers often go to great lengths to but his knowledge of string quartets became partly about memory; the audience is invited discourage our audience from looking for more sophisticated through his work with connections between our music and the titles IN THE BLUE ROOM PROGRAM NOTES to “hear” the instrumental material when later Kronos, combining rigorous compositional voiced by choreographed action. Music can we give it. In the case of my third quartet, ideas with a more performance-oriented indeed be expressed even in the absence the music really is about escalators, drinking approach. Kronos’ long relationship with Riley of sound. straws, shoelaces, vending machines, and has produced over 25 new works. cigarette butts. If it doesn’t sound that way to The title alludes to the famous summer music you, I apologize; I did my best with what I had. I Good Medicine is the last section of Salome courses held in Darmstadt, Germany. For would like to thank Nicholson Baker for forever Dances for Peace, an epic, two-hour-long string decades composers such as Cage, Boulez, changing my world-view, and David Harrington quartet. About Salome Riley has said: Nono, and Stockhausen met to share their for forever changing the string quartet. latest musical sounds and ideas. The festival The idea for Salome Dances for Peace came ­—Nathaniel Stookey out of an improvisation theme from The Harp came to be known as a hotbed of the most gritty, modernist contemporary music, stuff of New Albion. I realized this was potentially Nathaniel Stookey’s String Quartet No. 3, The aimed decidedly at mature audiences and, as a whole new piece. Around that time, David Mezzanine, was commissioned for the Kronos a consequence, sometimes lacking the ludic Harrington called me and asked me to write Quartet by the Clarence E. Heller Charitable sense of play that makes childlike enterprise so another string quartet. I thought that it should Foundation with additional support from the appealing (and perhaps in need of rehabilitation). be a ballet about Salome using her alluring Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation. 50 CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC IN THE BLUE ROOM PROGRAM NOTES PROGRAM ROOM BLUE THE IN Flow (2010) Silent Cranes is inspired by the Armenian folk For the Kronos Quartet / song Groung (Crane) in which the singer calls Kronos Performing Arts Association: Laurie Anderson (b. 1947) out to the migratory bird, begging for word from Janet Cowperthwaite, Managing Director Arranged by Jacob Garchik (1976) their homeland, only to have the crane respond with silence and fly away. The first, second, and Laird Rodet, Associate Director Laurie Anderson is one of America’s most fourth movement titles quote directly from the Sidney Chen, Artistic Administrator renowned—and daring—creative pioneers. Her folk song lyrics. Those who were lost during the Mason Dille, Development Associate work, which encompasses music, visual art, genocide are cranes in their own way, unable to poetry, film, and photography, has challenged speak of the horrors that happened, and it is the Scott Fraser, Sound Designer and delighted audiences around the world responsibility of the living to give them a voice. Christina Johnson, Communications and for more than 30 years. Anderson is best New Media Manager known for her multimedia presentations and The prerecorded backing track includes Nikolás McConnie-Saad, Office Manager musical recordings. Anderson’s first album, O testimonies by genocide survivors, recordings Superman, launched her recording career in from the genocide era of Armenian folk songs, Kären Nagy, Strategic Initiatives Director 1980, rising to number two on the British pop and a poem from investigative journalist David Hannah Neff, Production Associate Barsamian in response to the question “Why is it charts and subsequently appearing on her Lucinda Toy, Business Operations Manager landmark release Big Science. She went on to important to talk about the Armenian Genocide 100 years later?” record six more albums with Warner Brothers. Kronos Quartet/Kronos Performing In 2001, Anderson recorded her first album Special thanks to those who shared their Arts Association with Nonesuch Records, the critically lauded history, to those who contributed recordings, Life on a String, followed by Homeland in 2010. P. O. Box 225340 to David Barsamian for his words and light, and The original version of Flow is the final track on San Francisco, CA 94122-5340 USA to the Kronos Quartet and Kronos Performing Homeland, and was nominated for a Grammy Arts Association for telling this story that so kronosquartet.org for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Recent desperately needs to be heard. Silent Cranes is facebook.com/kronosquartet multimedia productions include Delusion dedicated to those lost and to those living who (2010) and Dirtday (2011), the third in a cycle instagram.com/kronos_quartet can promote change. that also included the works Happiness (2001) Twitter: @kronosquartet #kronos —Mary Kouyoumdjian and The End of the Moon (2004). Anderson The Kronos Quartet records for Nonesuch collaborated with the Kronos Quartet on the Mary Kouyoumdjian’s Silent Cranes was Records. 2013 work Landfall. Anderson’s visual and commissioned for the Kronos Quartet with installation work has been presented since support from the David Harrington Research 1980 in major museums throughout the world. and Development Fund, the Angel Stoyanof In addition, she has directed several films and Commission Fund, Zvart and Rouben Potoukian, recorded many works for film and dance. Andrea A. Lunsford, Gates McFadden and Robert Straus, Dayna Sumiyoshi and Greg Jacob Garchik’s arrangement of Flow by Laurie Smedsrud, many funders in the Indiegogo Anderson was commissioned for the Kronos community, and other generous individuals. Quartet by the David Harrington Research and It was premiered on April 29, 2015, by Development Fund. the Kronos Quartet at the Yerevan Perspectives 16th International Music Festival in the Silent Cranes (2015) Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera Mary Kouyoumdjian (b. 1983) and Ballet in Yerevan, Armenia. Folk Songs: April 24, 2015 marks the centennial of the Groung (Crane) performed by Komitas Vardapet Armenian Genocide, a tragic event that led to the / Armenak Shah Muradian and Andouni mass extermination of 1.5 million Armenians by (Homeless) performed by Komitas Vardapet the Ottoman Turks and was the first genocide of in Paris, France, 1912 (courtesy of Traditional the 20th century. While over 20 countries and 43 Crossroads); Groung (Crane) performed by U.S. states have formally recognized the Armenian Genocide, modern-day Turkey has yet to do so Zabelle Panosian in Harlem, New York, 1916 and threatens imprisonment to those who push (courtesy of Tompkins Square) the topic within its borders. Even now, 100 years Survivor Testimonies: later, this historic event continues to be just as Araxie Barsamian, Bishop Hagop, Victoria Mellian, unresolved as it was before. As an Armenian- (courtesy of David Barsamian); Haig Baronian, American composer who values freedom of Aghavnie Der Sarkissian, Elise Hagopian Taft, speech and whose family fled the genocide, I Nium Sukkar, (courtesy of the Armenian Film feel this is an essential time to remember those Foundation); Azniv Guiragossian (interviewed by who were lost, while continuing a dialogue about Taleen Babayan and the composer) what happened and how we can prevent further genocides from happening in the future. Poetry: David Barsamian, excerpts from “A Century….”

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