Kronos Quartet at the Walker 04 February 2011

Kronos quartet was top notch in their performance tonight at the Walker. They opened with some strong pieces by composers from Iraq, Azerbaijan, Iran and Palestine. All of them were thoroughly engaging, though some left me wanting more of a resolution at the end. The crowning piece of the night was Aleksandra Vrebalov's evocative and masterfully crafted "...hold me, neighbor, in this storm...". I'm adding it to my list of favorite contemporary compositions. Also noteworthy was the encore piece, "Tusen Tankar", by the Swedish Folk Ensemble Triakel. The pensive clarity of it reminded me of Shaker music in all the best ways.