The Adventures of Hippocrates

The Adventures of Hippocrates

I’ve been a fan of jazz pianist/composer Chick Corea ever since I first heard his wacky post-Return to Forever fusion record, The Mad Hatter, in the late ’70s. Amidst the chameleonic range of styles on that album and others I subsequently explored, his writing for string quartet within larger ensembles always stood out to me,… Read more »

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NewMusicBox Staff

I’ve been a fan of jazz pianist/composer Chick Corea ever since I first heard his wacky post-Return to Forever fusion record, The Mad Hatter, in the late ’70s. Amidst the chameleonic range of styles on that album and others I subsequently explored, his writing for string quartet within larger ensembles always stood out to me, and I always wondered what he would do given the chance to write a work scored exclusively for this most hallowed chamber ensemble. While his immediately identifiable piano touch is missing, Corea’s signature mix of percussive tunefulness and trickster experimentation can be clearly heard in his five-movement 2004 composition, The Adventures of Hippocrates, in an extremely idiomatic performance by the Orion String Quartet.

—FJO