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Duke Arts Presents

Kronos Quartet
Steve Reich

Saturday, March 19, 2011 | 8:00 pm

Page Auditorium


In this world premiere, two of the most original musical minds of the past hundred years—Steve Reich and David Harrington—come together for a once-in-a-lifetime performance made possible by Duke Performances’ ongoing collaboration with Kronos.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Reich is “the most original musical thinker of our time” (The New Yorker), but has to date only written two string quartets, both for Harrington’s group: 2001’s Triple Quartet and Different Trains (1988), “a work of such astonishing originality that breakthrough seems the only possible description” (NY Times).

Now another breakthrough arrives with Reich’s third quartet, commissioned by Duke Performances and written specifically for Harrington’s breathtaking ensemble. As the era’s most adventurous group performs all three quartets by “our greatest living composer” (NY Times), Page Auditorium will bear witness to history.  Reich will attend the premiere.

PROGRAM:

STEVE REICH: Triple Quartet  — In three movements (played without pause)
REICH: Selections from The Cave — Macpelah Commentary 2, Ephraim Isaac Chanting & Interior Drone
REICH: WTC 9/11 *World Premiere* — I. 9/11/01  II. 2010  III. WTC
—Intermission—
REICH: WTC 9/11 *World Premiere Reprise* — I. 9/11/01  II. 2010  III. WTC
REICH: Different Trains — I. America – Before The War  II. Europe – During The War III. After The war

 

“I’ve always wanted the string quartet to be vital and energetic and alive and cool and not afraid to kick ass and be absolutely beautiful and ugly if it has to be. But it has to be expressive of life.”
—David Harrington, Kronos Quartet

“There’s just a handful of living composers who can legitimately claim to have altered the direction of musical history.  Steve Reich is one of them.”
—Guardian (UK)

 

Kronos Quartet + Steve Reich Residency at Duke University
Thursday, March 17 through Saturday, March 19

Thursday, March 17
Steve Reich & David Harrington: In Conversation
moderated by Stephen Jaffe
The Pinhook Bar (117 W. Main St.), 6:30 pm

Presented in conjunction with The Jazz Loft Project, co-sponsored by the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies.

Friday, March 18
Steve Reich
On his Pulitzer Prize-winning composition Double Sextet
moderated by John Supko
Bone Hall, Biddle Music Building, Duke’s East Campus, 12 pm

Friday, March 18
Kronos Quartet: Workshop Reading
with David K. Garner
The Duke Coffeehouse in Crowell Hall, Duke’s East Campus, 7 pm

Open rehearsal and discussion of Duke Ph.D candidate David K. Garner’s new piece for Kronos Quartet, which will premiere Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in May, 2011.