A Crimson Grail

Featuring

Rhys Chatham
Unknown ensemble

Did you know?

1/7

Composition History

Rhys Chatham's 1977 composition Guitar Trio was the first to use multiple electric guitars in special tunings to combine extended-time music with hard rock.

Composition History

A Crimson Grail was originally commissioned by the city of Paris in 2005 for a premiere at the Sacré-Cœur basilica, designed to utilize its 15-second reverberation time.

Compositional Technique

A Crimson Grail, as a minimalist composition, focuses on the grand sonic effects of a large ensemble, combining 216 simple individual parts to create a complex whole.

Recording & Production

The planned 2008 premiere of A Crimson Grail at Lincoln Center was canceled due to a tornado-strength rainstorm that submerged the venue, leading to a re-mount in 2009.

Compositional Technique

The guitarists in A Crimson Grail are divided into different tuning groups—soprano, alto, and tenor—with lower unison pitches functioning as drone strings, similar to a sitar.

Composer Biography

Rhys Chatham, the composer, was the founder and music director of The Kitchen, a music program in downtown Manhattan, from 1971-73 and 1977-80.

Compositional Technique

The outdoor version of A Crimson Grail features an orchestra of 216 musicians (200 guitarists and 16 bassists) surrounding the audience on three sides, creating a surround-sound effect with 216 discrete points of sound.