John Zorn: The Complete String Quartets Part 2

High voltage

John Zorn’s string quartets are anything but light fare. They are exquisite nourishment for the spirit precisely because the frequent, often brutal changes in moods and energy keep listeners firmly in the now. In the work, echoes of cartoon films are quickly followed by snippets of folk-like sound flashes, and brutal stop-and-go passages in the same ultra-syncopated rhythms follow gossamer flageolet sounds. And the audience should also be prepared for snatches of quotations ranging from Haydn to New Music at any time. The range of sound possibilities and textures upon which Zorn mixes his inspirations and playing directions for string quartet – classical music’s ultimate instrumentation – is truly awe-inspiring. And extremely entertaining. In the JACK Quartet, Zorn has a phenomenal specialist ensemble from the USA as interpreters of his work.