Czech violinist
Pavel Sporcl is a prominent figure in his native country, performing and recording crossover and ethnic music as well as straight classical repertory. You may wonder how he came to record for the somewhat experimentally minded Chicago label Cedille: the story involved a friendship between
Sporcl and
Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist
Yuan-Qing Yu, who were studio-mates at Southern Methodist University in their student days. The result is an unusual double album, both conceptually intriguing and a great deal of fun, that extends the fusion of Gypsy and classical music. The two CDs in the album are different: the first features
Sporcl's Gipsy Way Ensemble and
Yu's
Civitas Ensemble chamber group, while the second involves
Civitas alone. All the music is rooted in Gypsy styles, but this strain of European folk music is approached from two different perspectives. The various arrangements and original compositions on the first album, one by
Sporcl himself, are worth the price in themselves; they effectively fuse the two disparate ensembles in a way that's natural enough to let the musicians unwind and enjoy the music. One composer, the Czech Lukáš Sommer, appears on both parts, and the "classical" second disc is equally interesting, with mostly little-known pieces that draw on Gypsy inspiration. Sample from both CDs, and you will find yourself drawn in at various points. ~ James Manheim