Cal Performances presents the world premiere of Beyond Zero: 1914—1918, a new work for quartet with film featuring Kronos Quartet
2014-04-06
Hertz Hall
U.C. Berkeley, Bancroft Way at College Ave, Berkeley, CA
7:m PM, Sunday, April 6, 2014

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[6:58 PM, pre-show recordings]
[7:09 PM lights down, band enters in darkness]

1. [7:12 PM] Byzantine Chant (arr. Aleksandra Vrebalov (b.1970)): Eternal Memory to the Virtuous (2013)

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971): Three Pieces for String Quartet (1914)

1. [7:16 PM] Dance
2. [7:17 PM] Eccentric
3. [7:19 PM] Canticle
   [work ends 7:23 PM]

1. [7:23 PM] Geeshie Wiley (1906-1939, both dates uncertain) (arr. Jacob Garchik (b.1976)): Last Kind Words (1930)
2. [7:27 PM] Tanburi Cemil Bey (1873–1916)(arr. Stephen Prutsman (b.1960)): Eviç Taksim
3. [7:34 PM] Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)(arr. JJ Hollingsworth (b.19xx)): Trois beaux oiseaux du Paradis (1914–1915)
4. [7:37 PM] Traditional (arr. Jacob Garchik): Smyrneiko Minore

Anton Webern (1883–1945) Six Bagatelles, Op. 9 (1911–1913)

1. [7:40 PM] Mäßig
2. [7:41 PM] Leicht bewegt
3. [7:41 PM] Ziemlich fließend
4. [7:42 PM] Sehr langsam
5. [7:43 PM] Äußerst langsam
6. [7:45 PM] Fließend
   [work ends 7:47 PM]

1. [7:48 PM] Charles Ives (1874–1954): They Are There! Fighting for the People’s New Free World (1917)
2. [7:49 PM] Serge Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)(arr. Kronos): Nunc Dimittis, from All-Night Vigil (1915)
   [set ends 7:52 PM]

Aleksandra Vrebalov (b.1970): Beyond Zero: 1914–1918; A new work for quartet with film (World Premiere),
Bill Morrison (b.1965): filmmaker.

1. [7:53 PM] (played without pause)
   [show ends 8:32 PM, no encore, off after a few minutes applause]

Kronos Quartet

• Hank Dutt: viola;
• David Harrington: violin;
• John Sherba: violin;
• Sunny Jungin Yang: cello.

• Drew Cameron: creative consultant;
• Bill Morrison: filmmaker.

Tonights show was an interesting mix of compositions, anchored by the long (?30 min) and weighty (subject-wise) debut of Beyond Zero. The use of prerecorded snippets both before, between and during the short pieces that preceded Beyond Zero was well done, though at times, it made it hard to distinguish the transitions between the individual sections. Similarly, being based on degraded film stock nearly 100 years old, it was also difficult at times to make sense of the video content that accompanied Beyond Zero. Certainly, some transitions seemed to emphasize the decrepit and decayed nature of the source material, spinning pseudo-kaleidoscopic splotches into patterns that would cover the current scene and then dissolve into the next. Very artful! While the “narrative” content of the video was somewhat oblique, stressing neither the actual horror of battle nor the stridently patriotic political theatre that accompanied it, the same cannot be said for Vrebalov's composition, which began in rather calm, hushed tones, then steadily added layer after layer of angst, fear, tension and strife, building steadily until the penultimate “screaming” section, only to give way at last to a peaceful requiem, signaled by bell tones from huge cut brass shell casings, hung like tubular bells, and struck quietly by David and John.

After the show, we spent some time in the lobby looking over XX's Combat Paper Project prints, which collected collage-like prints of visual elements from DM's film, wet-printed onto hand-made paper sourced from old military uniforms donated by combat veterans for this piece. It was an interesting work, both conceptually and in technical execution, but the actual pieces didn't really stimulate me as much as the general notion motivating the creation of the portfolio.

Back to the previous event ☸ Back to the 2014 yearbox ☸ Back to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!