The Kronos Quartet are of course the ideal ensemble to facilitate some sort of interesting cross-cultural exchange whilst at the same time drawing in a large audience for the festival.
As such, the Aga Khan Music Initiative’s commissioning of their collaboration with Alim Qasimov and his ensemble for this concert was shrewd. The Kronos’ willingness to explore many different musical types from around the globe has admittedly produced music of often-variable quality.
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The highlight of the evening, for me, was witnessing Alim Qasimov lead his ensemble through Mugham Bayati Shiraz (one of the 7 central suite forms of Azerbaijani classical music, known as mugham). This was an extended outpouring of introspective emotion concerning unrequited love and despondency in the face of isolation (the texts were helpfully projected in surtitles).
Complete at the source
Earlier reviews: Telegraph – ThisIsLondon –TimesOnline
Ismailimail 