Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Paul Hindemith, William [composer] Walton :: The Hollywood String Quartet Plays Prokofiev, Hindemith, Walton

I'm not always happy with the Hollywood String Quartet's legendary recordings of romantic music. But 20th-century music was their specialty, and this disc is a dazzler. The group digs into all three pieces with tremendous verve and the amazingly well matched ensemble that was their trademark. Personally, I'd rank the works on the disc in this order: first, Hindemith, a gritty post-World War I masterpiece; second, Prokofiev, a touchingly expressive work; and third, Walton, pseudo-modernistic dishwater. Walton loved this performance of his Quartet, so at least it's being done right. The recording is clear and realistic '50s mono, the program generous (73:37). --Leslie Gerber