Declarations - Music Between the Wars (Leos Janacek - Ruth Crawford Seeger - Paul Hindemith)

Album review

Smart programming is such an enjoyable thing to see on an album. Rather than just lumping two or three string quartets together because they happen to be by the same composer or because they conveniently fill up the required space on a CD, the Pacifica Quartet gives a cross-section of the string quartet literature from the 1920s and 1930s, specifically the period of time between the World Wars. How fascinating it is to see what different composers were doing at such a moment in history and how diverse their works are. Listening to the Pacifica Quartet, it is easily noticeable that it is a fairly young ensemble; their performances are bursting with energy, exuberance, and drive. This is a quartet that is not afraid to take risks, and it succeeds magnificently. The technique, introspection, and unity as an ensemble are incongruous with the musicians' young age. The Janácek String Quartet is handled masterfully. A work that is filled with almost schizophrenically abrupt changes in tempo, dynamics, and character, the work is handled with remarkable assuredness. Though primarily an atonal work, the String Quartet by Ruth Crawford Seeger is made easier to follow by exceptional voicing and dynamic control and pure, raw emoting. The Hindemith Fourth Quartet is one of the most convincing and in-tune performances of this work. Fans of this ensemble, intelligent programming, and twentieth century string quartet music alike will find this album extremely satisfying.
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