Canadian Quartets

I doubt New York - or any other North American city - could lay claim to an all-world-premiere program of string quartets last night. But, that's exactly what I heard as part of this weekend's Open Ears Festival. The Penderecki Quartet, a formidable local ensemble that plays both traditional and contemporary repertory, performed new quartets by three Canadian composers, each with their own distinct voice. David R. Scott's 3rd Quartet was written in six parts of contrasting styles: from Carter-like density to an almost-minimal tonality. Omar Daniel offered a theatrical interpretation of Homer's Odyssey, with choreography supplied by dancetheatre david earle.  Best in class was Vancouver-based Giorgio Magnanensi's teatro d'ell'udito (String Quartet No. 3), which used amplification and circuit bending to present a dystopic, Ligeti-like soundscape, enhanced by visuals via oscilloscope that resembled some kind of gauzy butterfly. Disturbing and energizing. (More pics below.)