THE DIAMOND QUARTET SERIES
- POTOMAC ON ALBANY
Vol. 1 - String Quartets 3, 8 - Albany
TROY 504
Vol. 2 - String Quartets 2, 9, 10 -
Albany TROY 540
Vol. 3 - String Quartets 1, 5, 6 - Albany
TROY 613
Vol. 4 - String Quartets 4, 7 - Albany
(2004? - not yet issued)
AVAILABILITY
www.webcom.com/steveh
Steven Honigberg's
Potomac Quartet have single-mindedly
set out to fulfil the promise of the
first Diamond volume issued two years
ago. Here is the latest disc presented
with satisfying thoroughness and commitment
to the highest artistic ideals. The
value of this project is heightened
by the inclusion of composer interview
material. The single movement First
Quartet was written at the Yaddo
Colony where Diamond was living with
the writer Katherin Anne Porter. Also
there was the German writer Hermann
Broch, the dedicatee. The quartet was
inspired by Broch's novel 'The Death
of Virgil'. It is densely emotional,
stabbingly poignant, affected by Roy
Harris's gravity as at 7.13 and singing
with a buoyantly lyric voice close to
that of Tippett (11.47).
The Fifth Quartet
is from twenty years later. It remains
densely expressive but the melodic material
leans towards Berg. It was premiered
by the original Juilliard quartet who,
over the years, performed many of the
Diamond quartets. The dancing patter
of the First Quartet is there in the
finale but there is also something of
scathing despair as well as nightmare.
A number of moments recall Rawsthorne.
After the three movements
of the Fifth comes the Gravement
and Adagio of the Sixth Quartet.
This work is more emotive and expressive.
I am not at all sure that the emotional
cargo of the Fifth quite carries the
conviction I have heard in the other
Diamond quartets. The Sixth while remaining
steadfastly Bergian is more convincing.
The construction of the finale is extremely
impressive. The practice of the composer's
art is clearly apparent and this sign-off
contrasts with the perfunctory gesture
that ends the First Quartet. It is based
on a theme by its dedicatee Darius Milhaud
and was presented to the French composer
on his seventieth birthday. This disc
is enhanced by photographs from the
Diamond family archives. Particularly
striking are the informal portraits
of Diamond with Bernstein and Koussevitsky.
Diamond greatly admires Bernstein's
Jeremiah symphony premiered in Pittsburgh
with Jenny Tourel as the soloist. Bernstein
and Tourel attended the 1946 premiere
of the Fifth Quartet with Diamond.
After this only one
more disc to go and the four volume
project will be fulfilled. As I have
said before I hope that the Potomac
will then move to the Schuman quartets
which offer similar and even greater
rewards.
Freshly exciting realisations
by the dedicated Potomac quartet. This
is a disc indispensable to followers
of the string quartet's progress and
of Diamond's life journey. This is well
up to the exalted standards set by volumes
1 and 2. If you have those it is my
guess that you will have to have this
as well.
Rob Barnett
Potomac String Quartet 
