Featuring lovely transcriptions of Dvorák's monumental Op. 81, Piano Quintet; his melancholy String Quartet, Op. 51; and his soulful Romance, Op. 11, this disc will be at once familiar and surprising to Dvorák fans. It is also on the short list of the most beautiful recordings of Dvorák's chamber music for winds since the
Ma'alot Quintet released a similar disc in 2006. The players of
Windscape are all first-rate soloists and equally adept ensemble players, blending and balancing with an ease and musicality on par with the best string quartets. Pianist
Jeremy Denk (Piano Quintet) and violinist
Daniel Phillips (Romance) prove to be superb partners as well. Produced, engineered, edited, and mastered in utterly natural sound by
Richard Price, this disc is as good as it gets in the woodwind world. And if you like it, you should by all means also try the
Ma'alot Quintet's disc, which includes woodwind transcriptions of Dvorák's "American" String Quartet, his Bagatelles for string trio and harmonium, and four of his Slavonic Dances.