JOHN ZORN

JOHN ZORN
MAGICK (2004)
320 KBPS

"Necronomicon" is John Zorn's fifth recorded string quartet, written in 2003. It is probably his most traditional piece for string quartet, even if he goes to great lengths not to title it as such. But all the traditions are there: with the five movement structure, I cannot help but think Bartók's 4th and 5th quartets (and, by listening to it and becoming more familiar, Ligeti's 2nd as well, which is also in five movements), especially with the symmetrical arch structure, with the fast third movement surrounded by two slow movements, which are framed by two outer faster movements. There is just a fair amount of his typical "scratchy-scratch" string writing, mostly found in the outer movements. There is also not as much "jump cutting material" as in some of his other quartets, especially "Cat o' Nine Tails" and "Dead Man"; in fact, the material is more akin to Zorn's "Kol Nidre": single subjects, well developed. The fourth movement has almost a melody with simple chordal accompaniment, almost alien for Zorn's writing it seems like.
The other piece is "Sortiége", scored for two bass clarinets. This is more like the Zorn of yorn, with the skittish angular figures and the jump-cutting of one kind of material to another and another in a matter of seconds. Definitely not something for amateurs to try at home.

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1. Necronomicon: Conjurations
2. Necronomicon: The Magus
3. Necronomicon: Thought Forms
4. Necronomicon: Incunabula
5. Necronomicon: Asmodeus
6. Sortiége