Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck Meet Sadistic French Writing

The Kronos Quartet sounds as amazing as ever on their album Short Stories, a compilation of works by nine composers. John Zorn, the composer of the piece 'Cat O' Nine Tails,' has has experience in numerous genres and styles, but this foray into the classical world of string quartets is a large step outside his normal scene of experimental hardcore punk, independent film scores, and jazz interpretation.
'Cat O' Nine Tails' is a creative title that may hold some underlying meaning, but the work's subtitle 'Tex Avery Directs the Marquis de Sade' gives us the real picture: the interaction between Warner Brothers' primary animator and the sadistic French writer, the piece is a pastiche of classic cartoon melodies and Zorn's idea of sadistic noise.
The work opens with a wall of noise which quickly dissipates and leaves behind quiet separate lines searching for a melody. Adding technique to the often burlesque music Zorn explores myriad string sounds within the variety of melodies he explores in short bursts of tonal sounds. Eventually a stereotypical western ho-down theme prevails. Though for better or worse, the strings are unable to hold onto it, and they play through atonal variations and attempt to return to the west once more. Through the second half of the twelve minute work Zorn turns away from the full sounds heard in the beginning and the parts slowly deteriorate into fragments of the previous sounds. Slowly but surely the music fades out into barely audible open chords. It is an interesting piece, and fits well within this compilation of new music, but it will be nice to hear what Zorn brings to us next.