Francesco Ciurlo's piece, 'Hasta pulverizarse los ojos', uses natural overtones without clear fundamental tones, creating a drifting and hazy feel, contrasted with a strict formal structure.
Compositional Technique
Óscar Escudero's 'Post' is a social experience for string quartet, electronics, and audience, based on algorithmically generated musical fragments that Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven might have written.
Historical Context
Dmitri Shostakovich's Eighth String Quartet, Op. 110, composed in 1960, is dedicated 'To the memory of the victims of fascism and war' and reflects his inner struggle with identity under state repression.
Composition History
Three contemporary composers, Birke Bertelsmeier, Francesco Ciurlo, and Óscar Escudero, were commissioned by the Kuss Quartet to compose their own 'crisis' pieces for this album.
Album & Artwork
The album is titled 'CRISIS' and reflects on the cultural and political uncertainties following the pandemic years, including the war in Europe.
Historical Context
Béla Bartók's String Quartet No. 6, composed in 1939, is seen as a farewell to Europe, as he left his homeland for the USA eleven months later.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The album's concept arose from an inner collective need to make a stand as artists, not merely as a response to calls for political statements.
