Malcolm Goldstein's work and aesthetics as a composer and violinist lie on a line extending forward from John Cage and stretching backward to Thoreau via Charles Ives. Ives is a figure of central importance for Goldstein (he has prepared the definitive performing edition of Ives' Second String Quartet) and Ives' music is quoted in A New Song of Many Faces for in These Times, written for and performed by the Quatuor Bozzini. The four other pieces included here are solos. On the title track, Goldstein sings along with his violin, a text recalling childhood memories of wartime hardship, fragments of popular songs, and nursery rhymes. Where Are We Going When We're Standing Still, Looking Backwards?!, a sustained exploration of the nuances of a G harmonic, is accompanied by a reproduction of its elegant handwritten graphic score. While many violinists go to pains to avoid open strings, Goldstein relishes them; the instrument is heard for what it is, an assemblage of metal and wood capable of producing all manner of gritty scrapes and crunches as well as beautiful melody. Goldstein's fantastic virtuosity draws upon a willingness to accept both. My Feet Is Tired But My Soul Is Rested (the title comes courtesy of Rosa Parks) is a fine example of a music whose language remains accessible to all while effortlessly incorporating highly advanced vocabulary. ~ Dan Warburton, Rovi

1		My Feet Is Tired But My Sould Is Rested
2		Soundings
3		Hardscrabble Songs
4		Where Are We Going When We're Standing Still, Looking Backwards?!
5		A New Song of Many Faces for in These Times

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