The Rose Album

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Nominated for the INDIE Award for BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM OF 2002, Matt Haimovitz’s poetic Rose Album is a reminiscence, through musical associations, of his teacher and mentor, the legendary American cellist, Leonard Rose. Schubert’s beloved Arpeggione Sonata and romantic works by Chopin, Schumann and Paganini are included, along with a recent composition by American composer Robert Stern.

Inside the CD booklet, vignettes from Haimovitz’s youth among such artists as Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern & Yo-Yo Ma are interspersed with musical commentary on the pieces. Photographs from historic Mechanics Hall and Kibutz Eilon in Israel complete the package.Fanfare Magazine raves:

The Rose Album is an excellent disc, most beautifully played and recorded, but also movingly annotated by cellist Matt Haimovitz, who shares with his audience his own poignant and affectionate memories of the late, great Leonard Rose. The performances are ineffably stylish and musically resourceful – a performance of tremendous depth and eloquence,and the equanimity and blend between the three cellos [in Popper’s “Requiem”] is as near ideal as anyone could imagine possible. The recording is at once resonant and rich – There’s long been a pressing need for a classy and committed recording of this piece, but this newcomer exceeds expectations in every regard. In sum, a superb disc.

…smart, fun, loving, beautifully recorded performances.
–Philadelphia Inquirer

…deeply considered and eloquent performances, conveyed in a warm and natural acoustic.
–The Strad

*** (three stars) Haimovitz’s highly personalized liner notes somehow avoid tipping into self-indulgence, and the same could be said of the performances, which unfold in a nearly uniform balance of heart and intellect. …
–Newark Star Ledger</li>