The subtlety with which the strings change the tones is delicate, along with some exquisite and intrinsically shaped phrasing.
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In the midst of sonorous string textures, violist Rosalind Ventris, comes to the fore at key moments.įrom the opening notes of the Beach they capture the etherealness of this music with conviction. In the higher registers of the piano, he balances the tone as to not overpower the softer and more muted strings in the quieter passages. Pianist Tom Poster is exceptionally sympathetic, keeping a respectful distance when his role requires it. The musicians are extremely sensitive to the roles each one has. The languorous melodies are treated vocally phrased with shape and interest, and with subtle changes of color well-executed. Their tempo choices are strong and contrasting, without being extreme. Harmonically not as dense as Beach’s, parallels can be drawn with the significant American composers Edward MacDowell and Aaron Copland.īoth the Beach and Price require a subtle approach to bring out the emotional content fully, a feat the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective achieves admirably. Price’s quintet, of which this is its premiere recording, is considered to date from c.1935, although the precise date of composition is unknown. Exhibiting the influences of Brahms and Schumann - especially in the piano writing, the work has some expressionistic harmonic moments similar to that of Zemlinsky and Schoenberg. Beach’s quintet in f-sharp minor of 1907, is luxuriously rich and emotionally adventurous work, set in the shadows of formidable Viennese composers. Stylistically, both Beach’s and Price’s quintets are late-romantic. This carefully programmed release by the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective makes an immediate impact, not just for the unorthodox repertoire but also for the execution and playing of this ensemble.
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Any album entirely of twentieth-century American chamber music would be considered adventurous, but for an ensemble making their debut, this is certainly a risky proposition.