Staff Picks Blog

Brooklyn Rider is a modern string quartet who’s sensibilities could be compared to the Kronos Quartet although their musical influences seem to be more from world music traditions than from popular music. Fitting into the “crossover classical” category, the group’s arrangements often include percussion, bass, or even electronics.

Dominant Curve, their latest album, was named one of NPR Music’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2010 . Along with a polished performance of Debussy’s String Quartet in G Minor, there is an original piece by one of the quartet’s violinists titled Achille’s Heel, and an interesting arrangement of John Cage’s In a Landscape.

Passport, the group’s previous release (2008), is a collection of  Armenian folk songs arranged for string quartet, and I would have to say that I enjoyed these lively, folk-inspired arrangements more than the selections on Dominant Curve. I was impressed with the quality of playing on both discs.