Alexandra du Bois - String Quartet: Oculus pro oculo totum orbem terrae caecat [w/ score]

[@FranzKaernBiederstedt]

Wow, I love how Alexandra du Bois applies modern avantgarde techniques to traditional sounds and creates something unique with it, that has personality and doesn't seem pretentious or artificial. Minor chords sound refreshed and new, presented in that way. Also the organic development of form is very convincing and keeps me attracted all the way through.

[@bryshares]

I agree that du Bois does a stupendous job applying modern techniques to traditional sounds. I do, though, personally disagree with your implication that very avant-garde or traditional music seems "pretentious or artificial". If I just misinterpreted or read too far into what you said, then my bad!

[@sedatakkas8427]

I'm coming this piece whenever I'm a little bit depressed. The piece is amazing...

[@MrBruno7447]

Fantastic piece and amazing musicians, it's not often you see contemporary music played with such talent and expressiveness!

[@johnpcomposer]

The opening is entrancing and ominous. Will have to listen to this entire when I have time.

[@bryshares]

Perhaps one of the best pieces to come out of the contemporary classical scene. As someone else stated, du Bois manages to meld more experimental techniques into more "traditional" sounds. It's just astounding. I was a little confused the first time I heard this piece but I was inexplicably and unequivocally drawn to it. I listened to it again because I knew there was something more to it. I have listened to this piece an additional 4 times since then. It was on this second listen that I started piecing (no pun intended) it all together instead of just trying to keep up with all the timbral and thematic changes bombarding me left and right. It starts off slow, as if just minutes before the sun starts to lighten the sky and the birds sing, then here come the birds (m. 2). Man tosses around in bed, trying to ignore the early morning's call with the darkness of night still looming (m. 8). After a while, man rises, "Suspended" in the confusion of early morning (m. 23). Then all of a sudden, the machinery starts up (m. 26), disjunct, disorganized, then building up and contorting into one seamless, chaotic mass. Then, we switch back to nature (m. 60). From there on, we are offered several vignettes of mankind's morning versus nature's morning... or mourning, both becoming increasingly intertwined and more difficult to distinguish from the other. Then starts a mesmerizing climax (m. 170) building up to a flurry of notes, like hell fire (m. 1189), then suddenly subsiding and then building up to a more crushing and emotional ending, the true climax of the piece (up to m. 247). I have no words for this section... Then, after that whirlwind of emotions, we return for one final glimpse of nature, this time struggling and ending on a very open voicing of a D minor chord with a discordant B♭ ominously looming over-, watching. I think this piece is a warning of how far we have strayed from the path, whatever that may be. This piece is begging you to pay attention. Truly powerful and perhaps one of the best pieces of the 21st century thus far. Finally, what is there to say about Kronos Quartet? In my opinion, the finest group of musicians currently in existence. They fully understand why and what they play.

[@bradywolff8923]

This has to be one of the most amazing pieces I've ever heard. Even with the experimental sound world it still maintains musicality. Absolutely mesmerizing!

[@willsalmon]

A beautiful work - well performed. I am delighted to have this piece and this score to learn from. Incipiysify does a real service to music.

[@marcellmagyari]

I really liked this piece!

[@jmiller1918]

Looking back, I think this is one of the greatest works ever uploaded by this channel.

[@ModernClarinetist]

Bravo. A very compelling work and performance!

[@MrMs300]

Beautifull!

[@derekputnam3439]

i can't play twinkle twinkle little star and this guy can retune his C string down a perfect whole step while sustaining a 4 second fermata and keep playing

[@carolinek312]

amazing piece！

[@machida5114]

so good...

[@machida5114]

I remember Rihm's string quartet No. 3.

[@machida5114]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIvZp5iAo8uogaM

[@SteveCournane]

Thanks so much for this

[@MaartenBauer]

So beautiful

[@Ferenz111]

I like that music !!!!!

[@OrenValek]

Brilliant

[@aishabaibagisova5852]

amazing!

[@jakeoconnor3420]

Amazing

[@PhilipDaniel]

One of the better works uploaded to this channel. Alexandra du Bois, much to her credit, has musicality.

[@machida5114]

romantic!

[@_Aiming]

8:36 17:37

[@jwbeats35]

Très très beau quatuor! Bravo! How does the cellist manage to sustain this low E at the beginning of the piece for so long?

[@daisyrushton1574]

Patience and good resin

[@vkkoorchester666]

bíutiful

[@cihant5438]

No wonder ''tis the Kronos

[@victorgrauer5834]

Dreary

[@nikolausgerszewski2086]

nice piece (this is not meant to be a compliment).

[@jannikschulte8245]

pretentious tryhard

[@sebastianzaczek]

okay (this is not meant to be a reply)

[@subplantant]

from the website: “a painter who knows exactly where her picture will be hung,” (Vivien Schweitzer, New York Times)

[@andradas9688]

contemporary AMERICANA...lol

[@GCorvetti]

Amazing