Canada's Quartetto Gelato is one of the most unique chamber on the classical music circuit today. The group, which combines violin, cello, accordion, oboe and the occasional tenor vocal, has been performing its wide-ranging repertoire of everything from sonatas to tangos to gypsy folk songs for over 10 years.
The current Gelato line-up features oboist Cynthia Steljes, cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper, accordion player Alexander Sevastian and violinist Peter DeSotto, who also plays mandolin and is the group's accomplished tenor. The musicians recently talked with NPR's Lisa Simeone and performed at NPR studios in Washington, D.C.
As its unique instrumentation demands, the ensemble's arrangements are unlike any other. The music from the group's appearance at NPR is listed below.
Ravel: The prelude and rigaudon Le tombeau de Couperin by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Weber: The finale of Concertstuck Opus 79 by Anton Weber (1883-1945)
Kodaly: Three Hungarian folk-based pieces by composer and educator Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967), collectively called Kállai Kettós.
Quartetto Gelato's most recent CD is Travels the Orient Express, released in June 2004.
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