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Times Herald Record

"The weeklong Classics on The Mountain brought its Chamber Music Festival to a gala finale Saturday night with a cross over program called "Classical meets Jazz" and the American premier of IGOR RAYKHELSONS' "Small Symphony for Strings" played by the Moscow Soloists Orchestra led by Yuri Bashmet.

"It opens with a traditional allegro in sonata form, sweet and approachable with a five-note lyrical theme developed by violins and violas and echoed by cellos. After intermission RAYKHELSONS'S "REFLECTION"featured violinist Elana Revich and violist Yuri Bashmet.

"An evocative, dreamy tone poem in a single, seamless movement, the piece develops a simple four-note motiff through shifiting variations of rhythm and color.

"The Highlight of the evening, however, was yet to come...Raykhelson's "Jazz Suite" for Viola, Saxophone and Piano, in the tradition of Gershwin, had the composer himself at the piano soloing and directing at the same time...His opening keyboard cadenza sounded modern discordant chords that fused into a melodic theme picked up by violist Yuri Bashmet and saxaphonist Igor Butman..."