Kronos Quartet, the virtuoso string chamber ensemble from the United States, returns to Latvia for its only performance in the Baltic States. Last year marked half a century since violinist David Harrington founded the ensemble under the influence of the Vietnam War and George Crumb's Black Angels. Water glasses played with a violin bow, spoken word passages and electronic interludes were innovations in chamber music composition that Harrington was particularly enthusiastic about.
Over time and with the changing makeup of the quartet, the Kronos Quartet has at times doggedly pursued an artistic vision that combines an intrepid drive for reinvention with a constant re-formulation of the rules of the string quartet experience. And it is no exaggeration to say that Kronos remains the world's most significant string quartet and one of the most influential musical ensembles in general.