Many pieces on the album emerged from cultures based in areas prone to catastrophic flooding, including the Egyptian Nile watershed, the Fertile Crescent, Kazakhstan, Belgrade, and Udaipur, India.
Album & Artwork
The album title, Floodplain, refers to low-lying areas bordering rivers where human civilization began, and the dual nature of these waters to nourish or destroy.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Kronos Quartet believes artists have a responsibility to create links between cultures, fashion new art from old, and revive old traditions as part of the new.
Recording & Production
The album was produced by David Harrington and co-produced by Scott Fraser, and recorded between August 2007 and October 2008 at Architecture, Los Angeles, CA.
Performer Biography
The Kronos Quartet is interested in music that creates a dialogue with contemporary collective concerns and issues, examining culture through the voices of artists and musicians.
Composition History
The arrangement of 'Ya Habibi Ta'ala' was commissioned by Greg G. Minshall, while 'Tashweesh' was commissioned by the Columbia Foundation and the David Harrington Research and Development Fund.
