Fellow Traveler - The Complete String Quartet Works of John Adams

Attacca Quartet are up against some fierce competition in "John's Book of Alleged Dances" (commissioned and premiered by Kronos Quartet), and the String Quartet (written for the St. Lawrence String Quartet). The title track, "Fellow Traveler", is getting its debut recording on this disc (it was written in 2007), and the young musicians in Attacca Quartet breathe fresh new life into all three of these string quartet works. Highly recommended.

Attacca is beyond talented - it's about time they got an album out. iTunes got it right when they labeled these guys "new and noteworthy"!

I've been following this group for several years. Everything they do is positively flawless.

Exhilarating, sensational, exciting, sweet, visceral, delightful.... Classical music with a dance beat... adventure music... I am always surprised and completely moved by the Attacca Quartet. Best title for this experience! Yes, yes, yes.

Edgy and compelling writing and ensemble performance. Technical demands handled flawlessly and with seeming ease. Something for everyone to like here.

I've been following this group since they formed at Juilliard... they keep getting more awesome!

What a revolutionary, exciting music experience performed with splendid passion and precision! Rocked my world!!!

It is about time someone put together all of Adams's string quartet work, and it is fortunate in this instance that such an energetic yet sensitive ensemble recorded it. It's worth the price just for Fellow Traveler, which has never been recorded.

I cannot say enough good things about this new album, which I believe is the first (of I hope many) release by the Attacca Quartet. Though I know he has his detractors, particularly among twelve-tone die-hards, but I happen to love the music of John Adams. But a review of an album doesn't need to be (nor should it be) a commentary on the composer's music because it's unfair to the performers. I know him mostly for his operas, particularly Nixon in China, and though there are only four players on this album (not counting the pre-recorded sounds in the Alleged Dances), you can hear the music of this groundbreaking opera channeled in the music making on this album. This is particularly true in the String Quartet and Fellow Traveler. The Alleged Dances are music of a different sort--(mostly) lighthearted vignettes whose enigmatic titles undoubtedly receive a bit more explanation in the program notes. "Rag the Bone" ambles along with a nice swing, while "Pavane: She's so Fine" gently sways even as it becomes more and more complex. "Toot Nipple" screams for attention in its virtuosity, but perhaps the most interesting of the Alleged Dances is "Alligator Escalator," with its eerie beginning that builds to a jaunty dance and ends in a raucous romp. All in all, I enjoyed the album immensely. I think it's an Adams fan must-have, and a great introduction to his music (along with Nixon in China) for those who are interested. Bravo to the Attacca Quartet for giving their all to translate John Adams's vision in such a dynamic way!

It comes as no surprise that the last reviewer, someone with the nickname "Boolez," wouldn't be a fan of the music of John Adams. But as the reviewer before him stated, whether or not you like his music, the skill of these performers, the Attacca Quartet, cannot be denied. This is incredibly difficult music--just playing the notes is hard enough, but giving it an effortless, swinging quality while maintaining that solid technical backbone is a real pleasure to hear. Fans of John Adams will love this album, particularly the Fellow Traveler track (which hasn't been recorded before this!) and those who don't know his music will undoubtedly become converts. BRAVO!