Distance

The violist and composer Dave Walther has an impressive resume that includes playing on more than 500 motion pictures and soundtracks, as well as being a member of The Debussy Trio. Here, with his sophomore effort on the Albany label, he offers us a work for violin and piano; a string quartet; a work for solo piano; and a work for flute and piano. “Eighth Duo” starts the listen with 3 movements that recruits firm keys and moody strings that interact in playful, even bouncy ways but don’t shy away from bare, atmospheric moments, too, and “Second String Quartet” follows with sublime and very articulate strings emitting warmth, mystery and awe. The back half of the listen leads with the hypnotic keys of “Grandfather Clock”, where Duncan Cumming mesmerizes us with his finger acrobatics that are as sublime as they are memorable, and “Sixth Duo” exits the record with Catherine Karoly’s dreamy flute and Jonathan Karoly’s cello working together with precision, beauty and no shortage of cautious, thoughtful instrumentation. An extremely well executed chamber effort, Walther and company are proficient in both bare and busy settings, as the 4 compositions here flow with grace, wonder and much intrigue.