The singing on the album is fine, and the musical phrasing is quite sensitive, (which is an aspect to which proper attention is often not given in performances of this repertoire). I particularly appreciate the group's effort to show the piano part off as an equal to the voices. Here, the intricate play between the four hands was brought more to my attention than in other performances I ve heard. But, being a singer (tenor!) myself, I did somewhat miss the presence of the voices in certain spots, as I felt the piano balance was a bit overbalanced. However, I certainly understand and respect your artistic choice. (Just to let you know, I m particularly attached to these works, not only because each one is a true masterpiece and stunning in its own right, but I was also fortunate to be able to perform these pieces on several national tours with the Mark Morris Dance Group in the 1990 s, so I became very familiar with them).    The singing on the album is fine, and the musical phrasing is quite sensitive, (which is an aspect to which proper attention is often not given in performances of this repertoire). I particularly appreciate your effort to show the piano part off as an equal to the voices. Here, the intricate play between the four hands was brought more to my attention than in other performances I ve heard. But, being a singer (tenor!) myself, I did somewhat miss the presence of the voices in certain spots, as I felt the piano balance was a bit overbalanced. However, I certainly understand and respect your artistic choice. (Just to let you know, I m particularly attached to these works, not only because each one is a true masterpiece and stunning in its own right, but I was also fortunate to be able to perform these pieces on several national tours with the Mark Morris Dance Group in the 1990 s, so I became very familiar with them). --Gregory Davidson, Manager A&R;, Sony Master WorksBefore I listened to the new CD of Brahms Liebeslieder Walzer, Op. 52 and 65, I wondered how objective I would be able to be since one of the singers is a dear, dear friend of mine. My hesitation evaporated rather quickly as I began listening to the sparkling performances of these two beloved sets of Brahms at his most charming. Charming is one of the words that kept popping into my mind as I listened. As a pianist who has performed Op. 52 numerous times in every configuration from four singers with piano-four-hands to large mixed voice ensembles with solo piano accompaniment, I was struck by the unerring accuracy displayed by the pianists Tim Smith and Chris Johnson. Very impressive indeed. The four singers blend their voices seamlessly and expressively in the ensemble numbers. As an old-fashioned, not to mention old, musician, I might have yearned for a bit more schmaltz here and there, but on the whole this is a very enjoyable and yes, charming performance and a welcome addition to the library of anyone who loves Brahms, vocal music, piano music and charm. --Ross Barentyne-Truluck, Lecturer, Vocal Performance Dept. Frost Schoold of Music, University of Miami, FL.Listening to the Brahms Accord CD of the two sets of his Liebeslieder Walzer was a wonderful way for me to reacquaint myself with this great vocal chamber piece. My introduction to it was many years ago in Voice Class at Music and Art High School, when the class, divided by voice types, stood around Ms. Clarke s piano and tried to sight read it. Also, unlike his Four Serious Songs, my deep bass was not what Brahms had in mind for this piece. My second encounter with it was Balanchine s setting for NY City Ballet. The Accord CD has been, by far, my happiest experience with Brahms Liebeslieder Walzer; The Brahms Accord performance is splendid! There is an unmistakable joy in the performing of these songs by the quartet. The voices blend beautifully, phrasing as one.  Catherine Tyrrell, Soprano, and Denise Woods, Mezzo-Soprano, are outstanding. Ms. Tyrrell supplies a pure, gleaming soaring soprano, capable of a soft vibrancy or of dramatic emphasis, when needed. Ms Woods provided a rich, honey-hued mezzo of expressive warmth and wide range. The two women blend beautifully in the duet portions and are superb in their solos. David Jackson offers a lyric tenor with a fine mezza-voce that blends perfectly with his colleagues. Juan Jose Ibarra displays his rich baritone throughout a wide range in his solos and is capable of lightening its texture without loss of quality in ensemble singing. Both tenor and baritone should be commended for their articulation in their duet, O die Frauen . Indeed, the projection of the words is outstanding throughout the work.  The excellent piano duo provides an almost orchestral voice with its range of colors and rhythms, immediately establishing the mood of each song. The magic of Brahms working in 3 quarter and/or 3 eighth time and creating the musical spectrum of moods inspired by these eclectic love poems, is faithfully reflected in the performance by the singers and the two pianists who succeed in sounding as one. I have read that Brahms was an avid admirer of Johann Strauss and these works were homage to the Waltz King . The poems are from a collection of short (4 lines) love poems, mostly from Eastern European countries and translated to German by Georg Daumer. They tell of the many facets of love; passion, rapture, joy, depression, obsession and anger. Brahms faithfully captures the mood, spirit and soul of each in these 33 miniature musical masterpieces. --Mauice Zucker, Bass & Music Critic