WHAT IS AMERICAN | VIOLINIST.COM

For the Record, Op. 202: PUBLIQuartet; cellist Johannes Moser; Sarah Plum; Carolin Widmann

By Laurie Niles

June 16, 2022 · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!

What Is American
PUBLIQuartet

The New York City-based PUBLIQuartet's latest album explores the resonance between contemporary, blues, jazz, free and rock-inflected music - all of which trace their roots back to the Black and Indigenous music that inspired Dvorak’s “American” String Quartet. The album features the world premiere recording of Roscoe Mitchell's CARDS 11-11-2020 as well as music by Vijay Iyer and Rhiannon Giddens; and reimaginings of works by Antonín Dvorák, Ornette Coleman, Tina Turner, Betty Davis, Alice Coltrane, Ida Cox, and Fats Waller. BELOW: What is American?" 4th movement, based on Dvorak's "American Quartet":