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| Black Angels | 
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| Artists: George Crumb, Thomas Tallis, Istvan Marta, Charles Ives, Dmitry Shostakovich, Hank Dutt, David Harrington, Joan Jeanrenaud, John Sherba, Kronos Quartet
Label: Nonesuch
Category: Music
List Price: $16.98
Buy New: $3.62
You Save: $13.36 (79%)
Buy New/Used from $3.62
Avg. Customer Rating:  (21 reviews)
Sales Rank: 34506
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 79242
UPC: 075597924220
EAN: 0075597924220
ASIN: B000005J0D
Release Date: June 21, 1990
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 see below December 9, 2000
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I just wanted to say that I agree with Frederick Lauritzen's review COMPLETELY.
Particularly valuable for the Crumb work November 8, 2000
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
George Crumb's harrowing "Black Angels" is given a compelling performance, and this, particularly for a Crumb fan like me, would alone justify this CD. I also liked the Tallis transciption, which suits the viol-like sound of Kronos well. However, the Shostakovich needs a richer sound in it's slow sections (Kronos is best in the violent 2nd and sarcastic 3rd movements). Marta's work strikes me as more irritating than mournful (perhaps it's my shortcoming, but the interpolated ethnic singing, complete with sobs and sniffles, quickly got on my nerves). As for the Ives, Kronos' arrangement doesn't add much to the original other than an excuse to include it on this recording, which is good enough reason for this delighted listener! I will return to about half of this CD often.
 The perfect anthology. October 8, 2000
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Though Black Angels contains five very different pieces of music - three of which are bleak beyond despair, while the two remaining are confident and at times bluntly optimistic - these are cleverly alternated in such a way as to make listening to the album as a whole very enjoyable. Therefore, what strikes one immediately about this anthology is its structural balance - which enhances the Quartet's literally flawless performance.(1) George Crumb's Black Angels is an interesting tribute to the Vietnam war, which forces one to think about the nature and qualities of music, as well as of the awfulness of war. I have to say I'm not sure this composition can be rightfully considered "music" - not in accordance with the common sense of "music," at any rate. I find it closer to a superb and extremely refined sequence of sound effects, which is powerful enough to tell its story without the need for words, images, or even a traditional (i.e. harmonic/melodic) musical pattern. In some respects, it reminds me of Tan Dun's Ghost Opera, but the latter intertwines nerve jagging sound effects and melodic patterns in a way that is unknown to Black Angels. Nonetheless, Black Angels is an exceptional and innovative work of art. (2) Thomas Tallis's 16th century Spem in Alium is a beautiful piece of music, nicely juxtaposed to the preceding Black Angels. The title (which, literally, means "hope in something else") says it all, I guess: this music expresses hope in something stronger than ourselves and acceptance of life as it is, of life as perhaps someone wiser than ourselves wants it to be. (3) Doom. A Sigh by Istvan Marta is a heartbreaking 10 minutes of music, which can't leave one unchanged. What I like about this composition is its brechtian quality: it estranges one (with its unbearable laments) to the point one can't take it any more, and then - just then (after 5 full minutes of weeping) - the string quartet suddenly takes over the scene leading one to an emotional breakdown. "Balance," once again, seems to be the keyword. (4) They Are There! by Charles Ives suits its purpose perfectly: it helps one release the tension one has accumulated in listening to the previous piece, and prepares one for the next emotional and intellectual challenge. (5) Last but not least, Shostakovich's Quartet No. 8, dedicated to the victims of war and fascism... What can I say? Undeniably this is one of the most brilliant string quartets the 20th century has made humankind heir of: it is full of vibrant energy, of emotional baggage, and of intellectual demands. This piece is so meaningful it is hard for me to find the right words to express my thoughts... "The way things might have been, could have been, should have been, and never will be" is what it seems to talk about to me, but there's so much in this music, one has the feeling of being able to go on learning from it forever. What I can say for sure is that in performing Shostakovich's Quartet No. 8 Kronos lives up to standards and pushes them higher than ever.
incredibly powerful December 13, 1999
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Crumb's "Black Angels" blows me away every time I hear it. Written in protest of the Vietnam war, it captures the horror that many veterans associate with that war. However, if you are at all familiar with the work of George Crumb, you'll know that his music is not easily accessible to the casual listener. Get ready for amplified string quartet!This emotional power of this disc is augmented by the inclusion of "Doom. A Sigh", by Istvan Marta, and Dmitri Shostakovich's eighth string quartet. The former selection conveys a sense of profound despair, while the latter was dedicated "to the victims of fascism and war." In conclusion, this is not a light-hearted disc, with the exception of the Ives piece, but it is very much worth the effort, as well as the emotional toll it will take.
not a must have but very interesting November 25, 1998
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
this isn't for pedestrian listeners. it's among my favorite kronos ceedees, but most people can get by without any of them just fine. still, it'd be a much better world if people listened to music like this more often. if you haven't heard it, you should. it's technically impressive and conceptually forward. it'll bend your mind and that's a good thing.
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