Trio4Dor

"I would put the program of this album into the category of 'World Music with Jazz overtones', but there is more to Trio Dor than meets the ear. Trio Dor performs its own arrangements and interpretations of European traditional music, mainly of Balkan and Slavonic origin. They also include klezmer repertoire, write and arrange their own music and extemporise. All the players have classical training and display considerable virtuosity on their instruments, especially Szüchs, who is a world-class violist. Jazz also forms part of their style, melded as it is into their folk art. Trio Dor regularly plays concerts and has on several occasions performed with authentic gypsy orchestras.

In terms of folk-born nostalgia, the unusual instrumentation of the quartet produces sound of great warmth, a "dark-brown" colour as it were, perfect for this repertoire. On the 'Trio 4 Dor' disc, there are many East European dance types, mainly with characteristic fast-slow-fast structure. The fast sections are fiery indeed, and most of the dance forms end with a whirling, accelerated gypsy finale, although this galvanising of energy by repetition of a short phrase becomes rather predictable after a while.

Aliud's DSD recording is noticeably closer than on its classical ensemble discs, appropriately so for the material and style. It is very interesting to hear the viola's throaty sound up so close and personal, but the fantastic detail of the playing and ultra-tight ensemble are quite thrilling, and given well-balanced staging in a sympathetic acoustic.

You will not be disappointed by the first-class musicianship and colourful repertoire. Entertaining and worth exploring.
Performance: 4 out of 5 Stars, Stereo and Multichannel Sonics: 5 out of 5 Stars."