1989_12 The Daily Collegian December 1989

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Modernistic Kronos quartet strings
along audience in Satellite Union
ByToddHeth
Staff Writer
When the Festival of Arts
committee decided to bring the
Kronos string quartet to CSUF, they
might have had a question whether or
not an audience could digest their set
of ultra-modem songs.
However, after two encores and
numerous curtain calls, they can rest
assured their choice was quite
peerless.
Kronos Is a San Francisco based
string quartet that is well known for
their renditions of such modem
composers as Jiml Hendrix, Willie
Dixon and minimalist Philip Glass,
another one of the people that played
as a concert in the Festival of Arts
music series.
From the roonent they took the
stage, it was obvious they weren't a
traditional suing quartet-
Group leader and violinist David
Harrington announced that they had
changed their set and that everyone
might as well put down thelr
programs.
Each dfplayed their own
personality with either a different
type haircut or some article of
clothing with a notlcabry different
characterisUc
Their first piece was entitled "Mu
Kkubo Ery' Omusaalaba." the first
quartet written by Justinian
Tamusuza, a Ugandan musician.
The quartet incorporated tapping
on their instruments as a rhythmic
background for the piece. Cellist Joan
Jeanrenaud played on with a droning
hne that gave the piece intensity. It
was an abstract musical gathering of
imagery.
The Water Wheel" was a serene
reverie with tense, fragile moments.
The varying coupled melodies and
delicate dimlnshing close were
effective In continuing the feeling of
thepelece.
The highlight of the first set was
the John 2bra piece 'Cat O' Nine
Tails.'1 Zorq is able to create pieces
with diverse ideas and make them fit
together well.
The variety of sounds derived on
their Instruments, such as meows and
pltter pattering of feet created the
image of a cartoon cat, an image Zorn
often tried to create as he imitated one
of his favorite composers, Carl
Stalling, a Warner Brothers cartoon
music composer. The style in which
the piece was played elicited laughter
from the audience at some points.
A brand new Philip Glass
composition closed their first set   It
was much more symphonic and
orchestrated than many of Glass'
compositions, and It served perfectly
as a dose to the set
The second portion of the concert
began with "Different Trains." a piece
by Steve Reich that depicts the story
of his childhood. As a child he rode
across the United States on trains
during World War II, and as a Jew, he
looked back and realized if he had
been in Europe he would have been
riding  on   trains   leading   to   death
On the piece Kronos incorporated
prerecorded voices and train whistles
that tell a story about the war. It was
Interesting, unique and chilling
After a couple curtain calls Kronos
came back and played a Willie Dixon
tune called "Hoochle Coochle Man."
Although it was a great attempt at the
blues, most of the arrangement played
byKronosdldn'tworkwell.
After a couple more cufiain calls
they came back to play the Jiml
Hendrix song "Foxy Lady." They
succeeded this time. The song came
complete with sparse vocals and
feedback at the end.
It was the freshness and vitality of
the selection af pieces and the way
they were played that made the
Kronos concert a great success.
Holiday
Concert
Artspeak EnterUitomnt S&rjf
A concert Saturday In the
Wahlberg Recital Hall will cul¬
minate the semesters work tor
the University Women's Chorus,
They will present a collection
of pieces In celebration of the
Christmas season.
The chorus has worked all
semester on the pieces they will
perform, each of which include
several movements, and some
are In foriegn languages.
They will walk in singing the
traditional Cbrtotma* hymn "O
Come, O Come Emmanuel."
Another piece-to be included In
the concert will Include "A
Ceremony of Carols" by
Benjamin Britten.
"Dancing Day-A Cycle of
Carols" by John Rutter will be
sung in Latin, and the chorus
will be accompanied by the harp
andptano.
On Bach's "Cantata &ti* the
University Womens Chorus will
be Joined by the University
Mens Chorus and the two
ensembles will stng the piece tn
German.
Camper van Beethoven makes the grade once again with new LP
record review record review • record review record review
By Rob Evans
Contributing Writer
Don't bring your skateboard,
Camper Tan Beethoven is bitter.
And no one can handle It
With Key Lime Pie (Virgin), the
Campers slow down the beat and
everyone deserts them. The old fans
are fleeing in fear of the new
direction. Where Is the sense of
humor? Where axe the skinheads?
Where are the funny stories about
beer and Lassie?
Mo one likes this album. I just
picked Up a complimentary Pulse/
magazine from Tower Records and
they even gave it a bad review. Pulse/,
a    publication    with    the    primary
function drumming up interest for
records tn order to Increase profits.
Well I don't care. This is the best
album of the year.   Period.
Leave the cute and funny songs to
They Might Be Giants and the Dead
Milkmen, I like Camper Van Beet¬
hoven like this. Mean. Splttin'
nails.
Everything about the album is a
deception. The album cover makes
you think this Is like their previous
releases—there are funny little
descriptions of the songs and even a
joke about the UPC symbol (HAD.
The dues are mostly on the silly
side ("All Her Favorite Fruit." 1 Was
Born tn a laundromat").
Even the main promotion for the
album—the first single and video—is
misleading. "Tictures of Matchstick
Men," that goofy sixties cover song
that the record company forcejj
them to record, is terribly out —
place on this collection of morbid
tales.
When you get the the album home
and play "Opening Theme." the
shock hits you. Sounds like a ska
funeral march.
Then "Jack Ruby" recreates the
killing of Lee Harvey Oswald, calling
Ruby a "gangster" and a "devil"
before eventually concluding that
"all our heroes are bastards." The
music owes something to Sonlr.
Youth, with churning guitar
rhythms and dissonant feedback to
go with the Campers' trademark
violin (the new violinist Is Just fine.
bythewayj.
"When I Win the Lottery" is a
plodding march about a pacifist bum
who spends his money on the lottery
in order to "buy all the giris on- my
block a color TV and a bottle of
French perfume."
The production work, is interest¬
ing-It comes across as sloppy
sllckness. If that Is possible.
What gives the album an even
stranger quality is the voice of
David Lowery. His California
stoner/surf bum warble is a
contradiction to the song lyrics.
Sometimes his growl sounds border¬
line insane.
It just goes to show, the funniest
people you know are also the angri¬
est
its.
^LtlVQlQf/felT/
co-operation with the
PRESENTS
A RARE CHRISTMAS TREAT!
HEROD
AND THE
INNOCENTS
HEROD AND THE INNOCENTS tl in aulherdc repro¬
duction of * 12th century medieval musical dram*-
It recounts the atory or the birth of Christ as well as King
HerodV attempt to have htm alaiq a* a child.   Thia is «
rich* vividly colorful, one-of-a-kind evening of
entertain men t for the whole family.
ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY!
D«,-emb«r 3, 1989; &00 p.m.     .   .
CS.UJF. Satellite Student Union
' 294-2216
 —— —^——^^—
Mountain Light Books_
_ &7rjg&% New - Used-Antiquarian
Oakhurst. California 93644 USA
(209) 683-2665 (BOOK)
Fresno Ciiy College's
Thutra Arti Department
presents
Jean-Paul Sartre's Existential Classic
No Exit
directed by C. Tim Ouinn
8 p.m. • Nov. 29,30, Dec 1, and 2
2 p.m.* December 3
cUidio 105
J5 Genera), S3 Su. -nu and Senior Ciuzans
Call 442-8221 tor tick**, or mora information