A Logical Pairing

Continuing with the idea of dealing with any new cd's as I acquire them, this time around it is the latest freebie from the BBC Music magazine. Chamber music by Brahms , piano quintet in F minor, and Dvorak, piano quartet in E flat. Brahms and Dvorak make a logical pairing, Brahms giving much needed support to Dvorak early in his career and both espousing the same musical values and similar influences. This cd is a live recording from the Music@Menlo festival in Silicon Valley California. It is a chamber music festival of a few years standing, I guess the @ sign is used to enhance the Silicon Valley connection. The players on the disk got together for the festival rather than being part of a regular performing group. They include Ralph Kirschbaum, Jorja Fleezanis, Ian Swensen, Cynthia Phelps, Wu Han, Geraldiine Walther, Colin Carr and Gilbert Kalish.