Positive Feedback

I was drawn to listen to this album because it includes violist Dana Zemtsov and her family members. I’ve so come to enjoy Dana’s performances, I needed to hear this. And I’m very glad I did. This is a delightful album filled with interesting music and supremely well performed.

Much of the music is from twentieth century composers, but the pieces are largely tonal, lyrical and accessible, with a few challenging bits to keep things interesting. All are pieces originally written for viola, not transcriptions… The Quartet plays with excellent ensemble, meaningful interpretive communication, and a joyful elan. The recording by Navis recording engineer and producer Daan van Aalst is a sonic delight. He captures an excellent balance across the instrumentalists plus a nice balance of direct and reflected sound in the natural acoustics of the Muziekcentrum van de Omroep, Hilversum…

This album is entirely the sound of four violas, no other instruments. But don’t let that lack of variety of timbre put you off. The compositions and the performers provide a wonderfully varied sonic landscape of constant musical invention. They held my attention completely for the full 57 minutes of the album’s content. Highly recommended!

Rushton Paul - Source

Luister Magazine 5 out of 5

****/***** “Nice build-up, beautifully performed, perfect recording technique”

Luister / Carine Alders - Source

Quadrevisie (review in Dutch)

“Omdat bij een combinatie van vier identieke instrumenten een monochromische klank dreigt, moet deze muziek het vooral hebben van de diversiteit aan melodielijnen en onderlinge dynamiekverschillen. Dat is gelukkig behoorlijk het geval. De voortreffelijke uitvoeringen van dit individueel èn als kwartet ideaal op elkaar afgestemde kwartet (familiebanden helpen daarbij zeer naar mag worden aangenomen) doen de rest. Louter pluspunten derhalve als eindoordeel.”

Jan de Kruijff - Source

Music Web International

“Welcome to the birth of a new CD label, and probably to a truckload of music by composers of whom you are unlikely to be familiar. Navis Classics is the initiative of recording engineer and producer Daan van Aalst, whose reputation has been established internationally through superb recordings for labels such as Onyx and Channel Classics, as well as the excellent Schubert series on Valthermond Recordings (reviews here and here).” (…)

“The recording is also very fine. A viola quartet sounds not dissimilar to conventional string quartet on first impression, but once attuned you soon start to identify the differences. The more extreme lows and highs are absent, but the lyrical qualities of the viola are more than equal to the task of melodic expressiveness, and the depth of the instruments has plenty of colour and texture. What you gain is a kind of airy transparency and lightness which is very easy on the ear without becoming bland or samey, especially with the quality of playing to be heard. Ensembles with a core of family members often have a special synergy, and in this the Zemtsov Viola Quartet is a prime example.”

“Programming is another strong aspect of this release, with unusual repertoire and première recordings amongst the jewels to be found.” (…)

“a fascinating programme of music from a superb and excellent ensemble capable of creating its own unique and highly attractive atmosphere.”

Dominy Clements - Source