Well, it’s about damn time. This is a classic recording that’s been out of print for almost ten years. I lost mine awhile back and regretted it ever since. The good folks at Ryko have finally acquired the rights and reissued it with an excellent remastering job.
I’ve always been somewhat ambivalent in my feelings toward the Kronos Quartet. On one hand, I’m grateful for the job they’ve done exposing the public to new and challenging repetoire, and they approach their work with a great deal of skill and enthusiasm.
On the other hand, their enthusiasm sometimes gets the best of them. Note that they rip through Philip Glass’ Company at such a clip that nothing’s given a chance to resonate and brood the way it’s supposed to. They have a tendency to mic everything very close, and at times it causes them to sound strained and raspy, particularly on the Early Music. Continued...