# Kronos Quartet with Wu Man at Zellerbach Hall Auditorium, April 1, 2023

[Cal Performances](https://calperformances.org/events/2022-23/new-music/kronos-quartet-with-special-guest-wu-man-pipa/) presents [Kronos Quartet](http://www.kronosquartet.org/) with [Wu Man](http://www.wumanpipa.org/)  
[Zellerbach Hall Auditorium](https://calperformances.org/visit/venues/zh.php)  
[U.C. Berkeley, Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94305 USA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=U.C.+Berkeley,+Bancroft+Way+at+Telegraph+Ave,+Berkeley,+CA+94305+USA&hl=en)  
8:00 PM, Saturday, April 1, 2023

[[:2023:2023-03:2023-03-26|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2023|Up to the 2023 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2023#April_events|Up to the 2023 event list!]] ☸ [[2023-04-02|On to the next event!]]

## Set One

[8:04 PM] {lights down, announcements, performers out}

01. [8:06 PM] [Terry Riley](http://terryriley.net/) \(b.1935\): _The Cusp of Magic_ (first movement) (2004)  
[8:16 PM] {work ends}  

[8:17 PM] {DH lauds Wu Man; Wu Man introduces the next four works}  
   
TRADITIONAL (arr. Wu Man, real. Danny Clay): _Glimpses of Muqam Chebiyat_ (2015)
02. [8:21 PM] Chebiyat Muqam – Muqaddima
03. [8:27 PM] Chebiyat Muqam – Third Dastan  
[8:31 PM] {work ends}  
   
[Wu Man](http://www.wumanpipa.org/) \(b. 1963) \(real. Danny Clay): _Two Chinese Paintings_ (2015)
04. [8:31 PM] _Ancient Echo_ (Wu Man)
05. [8:35 PM] _Silk and Bamboo_ (Traditional, inspired by _Huanlege_)  
[8:39 PM] {work ends}  
[8:40 PM] {Wu Man departs}  
   
Steve Reich (b. 1936):  _Different Trains_ (1988)
01. [8:41 PM] _America-Before the War_ »  
"1940 On My Birthday"
02. [8:50 PM] _Europe-During the War_ »  
"Then the war was over"
03. [8:57 PM] _After the War_  
[9:08 PM] {set ends}

## Set Two

### Tan Dun: Ghost Opera

[9:31 PM] {lights down, Kronos out with Wu Man, performers at five separate performance stations: four  spread out across the stage and one within the audience seating area near me}

[Tan Dun](http://www.tandunonline.com/) \(b. 1957): _Ghost Opera_ (1994) for String Quartet and Pipa with water, stone, paper, and metal, ca. 41 min  
Music, text and installation by Tan Dun  
[Detailed notes from the composer](https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/33560/Ghost-Opera--Tan-Dun/)

01. [9:31 PM] I _Bach, Monks, and Shakespeare Meet in Water_
02. [9:37 PM] II _Earth Dance_
03. [9:n PM] III _Dialogue with 'Little Cabbage'_
04. [9:n PM] IV _Metal and Stone_
05. [10:n PM] V _Song of Paper_  
[10:10 PM] {set ends; applause; off & back; PW uses hand signs to ask "one more?"}

### Encore

[10:13 PM] {DH introduces the encore}

01. [10:14 PM] R.D. Burman: _Mehbooba Mehbooba (Beloved, O Beloved)_  
[10:18 PM] {show ends}


## Performers

### Kronos Quartet

[Kronos Quartet](http://www.kronosquartet.org/)

* Hank Dutt: viola, toy percussion, percussion, watergong, vox;
* David Harrington: violin, peyote rattle, bass drum, watergong, ektar, percussion, vox;
* John Sherba: violin, watergong, ektar, percussion, vox;
* [Paul Wiancko](http://www.paulwiancko.com/): cello, watergong, vox.

### Wu Man

* [Wu Man](http://www.wumanpipa.org/): pipa, percussion, gong, vox, composer.
## Notes

I was kinda surprised, the first half of the show just didn't really pick me up that much. Normally I love Terry Riley works, but I was put off a bit by the use of backing tracks for _The Cusp of Magic_ (and also throughout the night) -- I think it's too much like cheating to use 'em.

_Ghost Opera_ was the highlight of the evening for me: a strange and wonderous ritual celebration playing out in the shared performance space of the theatre. Not really an opera, but a ceremonial happening that involved cool lighting, strange sounds (water gongs, chanting, mouth music from banging rocks together, etc), and choreographed movement. Truly something amazing and astounding and way out there compared to anything I remember seeing before.

It was nice of Cal Performances to host a post-show reception, but I'm sorry that I couldn't convince any of my friends to hang our and enjoy wine, snacks, and conversation. The wine and snacks were great, but I didn't enjoy talking to myself at all. It was just impossible getting anything started -- I kept finishing my own lines and then clamming up. Next time I'll try talking to other people instead.

{{:wip.png?nolink}}  **Whoa!**  This section is incomplete for now, sorry! {{:wip.png?nolink}}

[Program Notes](https://calperformances.org/events/2022-23/new-music/kronos-quartet-with-special-guest-wu-man-pipa/) or {{:2023:2023-04:20230401pn.pdf|program notes}}

{{tag>music Kronos_Quartet Wu_Man Zellerbach_Hall_Auditorium Hank_Dutt David_Harrington John_Sherba Paul_Wiancko }}

[[:2023:2023-03:2023-03-26|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2023|Up to the 2023 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2023#April_events|Up to the 2023 event list!]] ☸ [[2023-04-02|On to the next event!]]