Prokofiev: String Quartets 1 & 2 / Cello Sonata
This is but one of several Naxos releases that show how far the label has come in audiophile terms over the past couple of years. The account of the Cello Sonata by Grebanier and Guggenheim is particularly bracing; the piece was written with the formidable talents of Mstislav Rostropovich in mind, but Grebanier, undaunted, swallows it whole. Those familiar with his work as principal cello of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra will not be surprised. The warmth and richness of his tone, especially in the lower octave, can actually be felt on this disc, which preserves equally brilliant performances of the two quartets.--Ted Libbey