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A special young group.....don't miss the Janaki String Trio

Cheryl M. Dowden | Los Angeles | 11/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a remarkable and refreshing young group this is. I had listened to the recording before I had the privilege of hearing them live in Manhattan Beach, CA. Even though I saw the photo's on the album cover and the booklet contained in the case, I was still startled and impressed with their youth and freshness.



I have to confess I am not a big fan of string music and small ensembles. If asked I would tell anyone that my favorite music is bombastic and very Mahler like!



But the Janaki Trio has made me want to look further into their music and what they have to say and to contribute to this vast and ever growing musical world of the 21st Century.



I think this album is a thoughtful collection of the music of both mature and emerging composers ...... and a demonstration of how the past and present come together in harmony. Beginning and ending the disc with Penderecki piece was a creative way to tie this musical experience up in a bow and offer it as a present to the listener. The opening tracks feature the studio recording of Penderecki's String Trio, and the last tracks give us the trio recorded in live performance.



The freshness The Janaki Trio brought to the Beethoven was wonderful and gave the old master a respectfully contemporary feel. But what I really had fun listening to was the music of Jason Barabba and David Lefkowitz. The Barabba String Trio is like listening to a conversation between the instruments......they chat on different levels and about different subjects as they move through this score. I found it restful and fun and intriguing at the same time. Jason Barabba is a young composer whose music is to be savored. This is a voice of this century speaking in the music of today in a way that should appeal to all ages listening to it.



David Lefkowitz Duet for Violin and Viola appealed to me on a very different plain.....it is meditative and introspective. But with long lines of thoughtful sound, it made me feel peaceful. I had a vision of sitting watching a lovely sunset on a fall day and listening to this music and feeling that all was right with my little part of the world.



And then the familiar and almost relentless first notes of the Penderecki began again and the bridges from the from the 18th century to the 20th century were cemented in place by the work of this man who has seen and felt the emotions of a changing world and has put it into his music to be felt by the listener."

Great young trio

Wino | NY NY | 04/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent debut recording by three young virtuosi. The Penderecki is superb. The group's vitality and integration come through beautifully. I think this is a trio that will around for a long time."

Fabulous Young String Virtuosos

K. C. Darragh | Pasadena, California | 05/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow what a debut recording. Janaki String Trio is a fabulous new ensemble, and I had the pleasure of hearing them in concert before they made their Carnegie debut last January. This is a trio that is going places. Not only did they commission Jason Barabba to write a work for this album, but they commissioned Andrew Norman (currently finishing his Prix de Rome residency) to write a piece for the Carnegie concert, Alabaster Rounds. And rumor has it that Pierre Jalbert is writing a trio for them to premiere in early 2008. When you have three of the top young composers in the United States writing new work for a string ensemble, you can bet that they are worthy. And worthy they are. Not only does this group play contemporary work well, but their Beethoven is magical. Lyrical and dark, as fits the C-Minor trio, without ever dragging. And speaking of classical music, Janaki has a new album out on Naxos with flutist Uwe Grodd, which I also recommend. Available on Amazon as well. Anyone who has the opportunity must hear this trio live. I understand they are performing around the country and world now, and we should all try to attend a concert. Their energy is contagious and their musical and technical talent is of the highest level. Failing a live concert, enjoy this album on Yarlung Records. This album is an audiophile masterpiece, and the sound makes you truly feel that Janaki Trio is performing in person for you in your listening room. Enjoy the pinpoint accuracy of the soundstage. You can hear the gorgeous wood of these golden-age instruments and the rosin on the strings. Music critic Alan Rich has it right when he writes "Those who would bemoan the early demise of classical music -- of splendid new performers arriving on the scene and avid audiences to greet them -- are simply out of the loop these days.""