This is the debut album from
Quartetto Gelato, an extremely versatile quartet of musicians. The members -- Cynthia Steljes, Peter de Sotto,
Claudio Vena, and George Meanwell -- all play more than one instrument (de Sotto sings as well), a combination of reeds and strings, which gives them a great deal of flexibility and variety in their arrangements. Most of the music is familiar, even if not as popular as it once was in the early half of the twentieth century. Simply because of the quartet's impressive playing, the program of generally light classics is elevated to a much higher level than expected for arrangements that might otherwise be classed as "palm court" music. Steljes is a virtuoso on the oboe and English horn and could easily have a career as a soloist with her impeccable technique and control. She handles the flashy and florid writing of Pasculli's Concerto on themes from La Favorita smoothly and without any signs of strain. De Sotto switches easily between violin, singing, and mandolin, and from the Gypsy music in the Russian Medley to La Bohème to Neapolitan and Irish folk song to Classical chamber music. Accordionist and violist
Vena made most of the arrangements on this recording, while Meanwell provides the bass lines on either cello or guitar. The one oddball work, because it isn't an arrangement and it isn't well known, is the quartet by J.C. Bach.
Quartetto Gelato gives it the same attention and care as all of the other pieces in the program, and as a result, its grace and charm fit quite well with the rest of the program. These musicians combine an expert skill with vibrant energy and emotion that is hard to achieve in ensemble work, but it is what makes this a refreshing album that is enjoyable anytime, anywhere.