Acclaim
| Pro Arte Quartet Critical Acclaim |
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A first-rate quartet . . . wonderfully personal, intense music performed with real devotion and accomplishment. Exemplary . . . the Pro Arte plays so sensationally together, yet each with a vibrant individual voice. One of the greatest quartets of our time. The four players sound as if they were born to perform together; they do honor to the name they have inherited. A high-spirited group unafraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. The Pro Arte played with energy, precision, and just the right amount of Kreislerian effusion A performance . . . that combined warmth and intensity with a well-balanced sense of proportion. Crisp articulation, beautiful pitch and convincing interpretations. Engrossing The group's remarkable execution was topped only by its intensity . Power-house Pro Arte . . . Wonderful ensemble textures, ranging from the violins' icy bowing to undulating drone effects. A tone that is homogenous, lean and expressive. A tauter reading would be hard to imagine; a softer landing, nigh unto impossible. The ensemble's admirable attention to detail and precise coordination produced sounds of shimmering beauty and a perfect blend of romantic pathos and folk-derived rhythmic vigor. An intensely committed performance A masterly performance of Fred Lerdahl's exceedingly complex Second String Quartet The most distinguished recording to date of Ernest Bloch's String Quartet Nos. 3 & 4. Not for nothing have famous prize-winning modern and contemporary composers from Bela Bartok, Darius Milhaud and Arthur Honneger to Gunther Schuller, Fred Lerdahl and Ralph Shapey composed works for the Pro Arte to premiere. Warm extroverted manner The quartet has never sounded better. |
