VOA标准英语2010年-Kronos Quartet Premieres Iranian Compo

The Kronos Quartet began its Fall 2010 touring season in its hometown San Francisco, by premiering work by a young Iranian composer, along with a selection of new and recent compositions written in reaction to social and political turmoil¹. Also on the program, an iconic piece about the Vietnam War era which the ensemble²'s founder³ says inspired the formation of the group.
The Kronos Quartet kicked off its Fall 2010 touring  at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Arts Center, with the world premiere of Iranian composer Sahba Aminikia's mournful new piece, "Threnody⁴ for Those who Remain," which chronicles his father's death, as well as the Iranians' protest against last summer's contested presidential election.
Aminikia, a music composition student at San Francisco Conservatory⁵, was pleasantly shocked to receive his first major commission. But the occasion was bittersweet.
"Exactly the day after I sent them a copy, [David Harrington] contacted me," said Aminikia. "And this was exactly when my father had died in Iran, in a car accident. I went to Iran, and for three months, I recorded sounds in every place I went, not necessarily complex or advanced places, but anywhere, like the bazar or the street, or if I heard things on the radio which sounded funny to me, I recorded all of these."David Harrington, Kronos' founder and musical director, says he is always looking for things the audience probably has not heard before.
"I am always looking for the next piece, the next wonderful experience," said Harrington. "I want people who write for Kronos to turn the page, to make a work that is new to them, new to us, new to the rest of the world. And for me, Sahba [Aminikia] could do that."During the past 35 years, Kronos has commissioned more than 600 new pieces, from such well-known composers as Philip Glass and Terry Riley, but also from many new composers, discovered by the ensemble.
"I like to be the first one to hear a piece of music," noted⁶ Harrington. "I like the challenge, and it's nerve-racking. You wonder can I get through it, can we get through it? What's it going to be? I won't say I'm addicted⁷ to this, but maybe it is an addiction⁸. You know, there is a high that happens." In its new concert, Kronos presents a restaging of George Crumb's iconic "Black Angels," an essential piece in the ensemble's history, returning after 35 years. "I don't think there would be a new quartet by Sahba [Aminikia] if there wasn't 'Black Angels.' When I first heard it in 1973 it was alarming, it was scary. I had been searching for something for a long time, and I didn't know if it even existed," added Harrington.
Kronos performs these pieces during its world tour starting in Basel, Switzerland, on November 10, followed by stops in Poland, Germany, France, Portugal and Canada throughout this winter.

1 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

2 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 threnody   

n.挽歌，哀歌

参考例句：

• They sang a threnody for the dead person.他们为那个死去的人唱了哀歌。
• In the opera's final scene,the leading lady sings a threnody to mourn the murdered king.在最后一幕歌剧，领唱唱了一首哀歌来悼念被谋杀的国王。

5 conservatory   

n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的

参考例句：

• At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

8 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。