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Based in the Big Apple, the Lumiere String Quartet presents a full hour of the most excellent first-class holiday fare on Classical Christmas. This is tuxedo and top hat music, grandly executed with warmth and precision. The quartet features two violins (Victoria Paterson, Christian Hebel), one viola (Junah Chung), and a cello (Robert Burkhart). The majority of tracks, however, include one other player--an additional violinist (Kristina Musser), a trumpeter (Eileen Bedlington), or a flutist (Sato Moughalian). The result retains the intimacy of a small ensemble, while providing the color and variety of additional instrumental voices.

As I listened to Classical Christmas, I could literally feel myself unwind. Having spent the day herding enthusiastic party-goers at my daughter's 16th birthday party, I found myself in dire need of some "down time" with equal parts relaxation and inspiration. That is what the Lumiere String Quartet delivers here. This music is intensely lovely and always formal, though never stuffy. It is the sort of music I would expect to hear in a five-star restaurant when the December winds blow, or perhaps as you contemplate a blazing fire with a brandy snifter in hand. The execution is clean and measured, and the musicianship is uplifting.

The song selection focuses on ancient carols and well-known classical pieces by Bach, Vivaldi, and Beethoven. Surprisingly, the repertoire also includes Engelbert Humperdinck's Prayer from "Hansel and Gretel", a thoughtful song that, while new to me, fit perfectly in its slot. My favorite moments included the violins' emotive passages on Wexford Carol, the cello's warm call on Dona Nobis Pacem, and the beautiful grandeur of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.

Want to impress your significant other with tasteful seasonal music? Invite him or her to dine with you by candlelight this evening, and slip the Lumiere String Quartet's Classical Christmas onto your sound system. Then hold hands and stare into each other's eyes; you can forget about the tux!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Lumiere String Quartet
Violin: Victoria Paterson
Violin: Christian Hebel
Viola: Junah Chung
Cello: Robert Burkhart

Guest Artists:
Eileen Bedlington: Trumpet
Sato Moughalian: Flute
Kristina Musser: Violin

From the Website:

You have just found the classiest musicians in New York City. The Lumiere String Quartet will add the perfect elegance to your occasion, specializing in weddings, concerts, parties, gallery openings, anniversaries, memorials, receptions, galas, intimate gatherings and grand events. The quartet plays a diversity of styles and works with you or your planner to develop a unique, customized program for any event (click here for selected repertoire). Lumiere Records, Inc. employs an elite roster of musicians who perform on Broadway, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many more high-profile venues in and around greater New York.

Lumiere String Quartet

Classical Christmas

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Track List