Customer Reviews

American Chamber Music

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The first reviewer nailed it! I bought this CD when I saw David Shifrin live, he played the Mozart/Weber Quintets. After the concert I purchased this CD because I was not familiar with most of the music. After the concert I listened to Souvenirs de Voyage. It's absolutely the most stunning chamber music I have ever heard.

David Shifrins playing is so smooth and fluid, as is the rest of the quintet. This is a must have CD.

It is perhaps best to think of this album as a chamber music equivalent to Delos's wonderful series of American symphonic albums under Gerard Schwarz. Two of the works, the Herrmann and the Diamond, are absolutely revelatory. Herrmann's Souvenir de Voyage dates from 1967 and his relocation to England. It is a work full of warmth and sunshine, even boasting a "love song" for its final movement. The playing here is luxurious, notably that of the first violin, the young Pamela Frank. The Quincy Porter piece, from 1929, is more acerbic, but it makes its points succinctly. The Ives Trio, from 1902, is filled with wonderful Ivesian atmosphere, even though this is not a major work by the composer. Diamond's 1950 Quintet for clarinet, two violas, and two cellos is a beautiful piece in every sense of the word. The composer notes his attraction to the chamber music of Brahms and Reger, especially in the choice of instrumentation to bring out dark, autumnal colors. Shifrin plays this magnificently, and how many ensembles can boast two violists of the caliber of Walter Trampler and Paul Neubauer? Delos's sound engineering is up to the high standards of the label. Anyone collecting some of the less heralded byways of American music should consider picking up this disc. One only wishes more chamber music programmers would be this resourceful.