A melding of modern classical and vintage Viennese tones come together under the pen of composer Gernot Wolfgang in this album that has his works in a series of various chamber moods. “Road Signs” has bassoon and piano creating shades for a film noir, and with an added clarinet, get romantic on “Windows”. A melancholy “Passage To Vienna” features a moving piano trio, while solo piano for “Route 33” gives reflections a la Debussy. Lots of dark corners in which to hide are created on “From Vienna With Love” for a piano quartet while the Coplandesque “Country Road” includes warm horns and strings. It’s encouraging to see that “Modern” always doesn’t translate into “Cacophony”.
Composer Stephan Thelen brings forth rich compositions for strings, performed by the Kronos Quartet and the Al Pari Quartet. The KQ of David Harrington/John Sherba/Hank Dutt/Sunny Yang create rich effects and slices on “Circular Lines”. With Marta Lucjan/Alicja Miruk-Mirska/Magdalena Maier/Elzbieta Rychwalska, the Al Pari Quartet chirps through an inviting “”Chaconne”, dramatically slash a “World Dialogue” and race to the finish line on “Silesia”. Warm, embracing and exciting, like a ride on a ship on a gusty and breezy day.