from Emanuel Vardi,
The concert pieces are great! The opening Fantasy of the Hindemith is played with great understanding,
and the mysterious quality which is so often missed, was captured beautifully and was a pleasure
to hear. You also really captured the romantic quality of the sonata which I loved. I enjoyed
all the works!
from Myron Rosenblum, The New York Viola Society, January 2001
Violist Eric Shumsky Plays, Ambassador Recording Company, ARC 1011. Eric Shumsky offers an
impressive CD of Bloch's Suite Hebraique; Hindemith's Trauermusik and Sonata for Viola and Piano,
op. 11, no.4; James Beale's Ballade for Viola and Strings and Fritz Kreisler's Praeludium and
Allegro. I first heard Mr. Shumsky play on a recording with his father, the late, great violinist
Oscar Shumsky in duets for violin and viola. His playing as a young man was impressive and this
CD shows a mature musician and a fine violist with a big sound and an expansive way of playing
when called for. Mr. Shumsky deals with the high tessitura passages and chordal playing in this
music extremely well He captures very successfully the Jewish moods of Bloch's three movements,
Rhapsodie, Processional and Affirmation. The Beale Ballade is a fine piece and certainly worthy
of performance. Originally written with piano, Mr. Shumsky plays it here with a string orchestra.
He has a good feeling for Hindemith and successfully achieves the different moods of both the
Trauermusik and the early, romantic sonata. The Kreisler Praeludium and Allegro, so well known,
is a nice ending to this most enjoyable CD. Not all violin works translate well to the viola,
but this one does and Mr. Shumsky milks it for "all it is worth. This is very impressive playing
with many wonderful musical moments.
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