Home  |  Hi-Fi Audio Reviews  Audiophile Shows Partner Mags  News       

High-End High-Performance Audiophile Review Magazine & Hi-Fi Audio Equipment Reviews
Audiophile Equipment Review Magazine High-End Audio

  High-Performance Audio Reviews
  Music News, Show Reports, And More!

  29 Years Of Service To Music Lovers

Enjoy the Music.com Review Magazine
American Chamber Music
Music by Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, Leonard Bernstein, Elliot Carter and Samuel Barber
James Ehnes and members of the Seattle Chamber Music Society
Review By Max Westler

 

  Having established himself as one of the foremost violinists of his generation, James Ehnes has dutifully (and very successfully) recorded the standard concerto repertory for his instrument: Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Brahms, etc. He now appears in a much more self-effacing role, sharing the stage with some very talented musicians from the Seattle Chamber Music Society, of which Ehnes is the artistic director. Together they have produced this ingenuous program of modern American chamber works, mostly hidden treasures that deserve to be far better known. Of course Copland, Ives, Bernstein, Carter and Barber are all major American composers—one can hardly imagine a more august gathering—but too often, though not surprisingly, their chamber music has been eclipsed by their large-scale orchestral works. If this release doesn't exactly right that balance, it does present a well-chosen and thoughtful program that alternates longer works (the Copland, Bernstein and Barber) with shorter ones (the Ives and Carter). The earliest of these works was written in 1937 (the Bernstein), the latest in 1942 at the height of the war. With the notable exception of the Carter, all these works are characteristic of their composers, providing a welcome sense of variety. More importantly, the music here is uniformly attractive and compelling.

Copland's Violin Sonata is more abstract and intimate than many of his popular (and populist) ballet scores; there are no overt references to folk tunes or cowpoke ballads. Still, it's hard to imagine anyone who loves Billy the Kid or Appalachian Spring not responding to this music, which is characterized by the same mix of spiky rhythms and open-hearted lyricism. The Largo for violin, clarinet, and piano was finally published in 1937; but as was his practice, Ives had been tinkering with it since1901. The end result is barely five minute long, but demonstrates the composer's genius for concise forms. Like the much better known Unanswered Question, the Largo presents a serene, nostalgic surface ruffled by troubling dissonances. As you would expect from this composer, the ambiguity between the solemn opening and the anxious middle section remains unresolved.

Amazingly, Bernstein's Trio for violin, cello, and piano was written when he was 19 and still a student at Harvard. One wonders what his composition and theory teacher, the austere and conservative Walter Piston, made of his student's work. Brash, bluesy and high-spirited, it already bears the stamp of the composer's personality. I found it totally irresistible. Though Elliot Carter would eventually reject most of the tonal music he produced before the war in favor of the multi-layered textures and rhythms he adopted after it, the Elegy for viola and piano has survived his second thoughts. It is more forthrightly emotional and dramatic music than Carter would ever write again. Barber's Adagio is hardly a "hidden treasure," but is probably his best known and most often played score, and with good reason; it is music that expresses sorrow and hope, solemnity and yearning, anguish and resignation with an eloquence and intensity that's both ennobling and heartbreaking. For those who know the Adagio only as a separate piece, usually for strings, I'd suggest that it is even more powerful when set in the context of the Quartet in B minor in which it originally appeared. The "Adagio" takes on a different (and, I'd argue, deeper) meaning when heard as a dramatic counterweight to the fierce music that precedes and follows it.

The performances throughout are expressive and idiomatic. Though I've listed all the responsible parties after the ratings, special thanks go to James Ehnes for using his clout and reputation to bring this project to fruition. It is a superb release in every respect: state-of-the-art sound, thrilling performances, and irresistible music. Is it too much to hope that this release is the first in a series that will eventually include chamber works by the likes of Roy Harris, William Schumann and Lou Harrison? We should be so lucky. In the meantime, this disc is highly and urgently recommended.

 

 

Performance:

Enjoyment:

Sound Quality:

 

Aaron Copland: Sonata for violin and piano (1942-3)
James Ehnes (violin), Orion Weiss (piano)

Charles Ives: Largo for violin, cello, and piano
Amy Schwartz Moretti (violin), Ricardo Morales (clarinet), Anna Polonsky (piano)

Leonard Bernstein: Trio for violin, cello, and piano
Erin Keefe (violin), Amit Peled (cello), Adam Neiman (piano)

Elliot Carter: Elegy for viola and piano
Richard O' Neil (viola) and Anna Polonsky (piano)

Samuel Barber: String Quartet in B minor, op. 11
The Ehnes Quartet: James Ehnes, Amy Schwartz Moretti (violins), Richard O' Neil (viola), Robert deMaine (Cello)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     
 

Quick Links


Premium Audio Review Magazine
High-End Audiophile Equipment Reviews

 

Equipment Review Archives
Turntables, Cartridges, Etc
Digital Source
Do It Yourself (DIY)
Preamplifiers
Amplifiers
Cables, Wires, Etc
Loudspeakers/ Monitors
Headphones, IEMs, Tweaks, Etc
Superior Audio Gear Reviews

 

 


Show Reports
HIGH END Munich 2024
AXPONA 2024 Show Report
Montreal Audiofest 2024 Report

Southwest Audio Fest 2024
Florida Intl. Audio Expo 2024
Capital Audiofest 2023 Report
Toronto Audiofest 2023 Report
UK Audio Show 2023 Report
Pacific Audio Fest 2023 Report
T.H.E. Show 2023 Report
Australian Hi-Fi Show 2023 Report
...More Show Reports

 

Videos
Our Featured Videos

 


Industry & Music News

High-Performance Audio & Music News

 

Partner Print Magazines
audioXpress
Australian Hi-Fi Magazine
hi-fi+ Magazine
Sound Practices
VALVE Magazine

 

For The Press & Industry
About Us
Press Releases
Official Site Graphics

 

 

 

     

Home   |   Hi-Fi Audio Reviews   |   News   |   Press Releases   |   About Us   |   Contact Us

 

All contents copyright©  1995 - 2024  Enjoy the Music.com®
May not be copied or reproduced without permission.  All rights reserved.