I have heard only one string quartet by Shebalin, though I have heard
all his (numbered) symphonies and some of his other music.  Pretty good.
A Miaskovski pupil, though he didn't catch the Miaskovski angst/depth
of feeling the way I feel Golubev (for instance) did.  (Of Shebalin's
symphonies I think 2 and 5 are best, but I like the others too.) I've been
looking forward to a release like this one for a while, I think, perhaps
if only because I like the composer, like what I've seen in score (quartet
and arranged) of his quartets, and like the one of his quartets (#5,
"Slavonic") that I've heard; of projects that Olympia might be undertaking
at the moment with their limited resources I would not have given it
highest priority, though I .am. glad to see it.  A lukewarm welcome, if
the performances are good (the amazon.com entry, too, suggested that it
was to be first volume in a complete cycle- hope so.)

I'd still rather see a Vainberg symphony (like #3, say), to refer to
another thread, but Olympia is a small company of stretched resources.
(One notes that the Vainberg symphonies they .have. released so far,
except for #2 and the chamber symphonies, have all been from existing
LP recordings or existing radio tapes.) (And the number of Vainberg
quartets they've recorded so far is 4, .not. 3- 1, 10, 12 and 17.  Or am
I miscounting? That 12 may be a rerelease from an LP- I don't know- only
matters if one is to apply such a rule consistently...  anyhow, if someone
can record Rubbra's 3rd violin sonata despite my annoying complaints that
it's unrecorded, I'm sure that eventually Vainberg's works- including
.his. beautiful (a minor) 3rd violin&piano sonata- will also be recorded...)

(Shameless self-promotion:  http://www.lightlink.com/schissel/vainberg.html
as usual for a- not often updated, but I do try- page on Vainberg's music.
Some new material every once in a while, promise!)

-Eric Schissel