STRINGS OF THE SPIRIT:
DOVER QUARTET’S WOODLAND REVERIE

Woodland Songs is a wondrous, deeply American musical journey that feels both timeless and urgently of the moment. The Dover Quartet—never content to coast on their accolades—has once again pushed boundaries with a moving and masterfully performed album that connects Chickasaw and Tuscarora traditions to the classical canon, while also recontextualizing Dvořák’s “American” quartet with newfound meaning. Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha’ Tate’s Woodland Songs (commissioned by the Dover Quartet), and his luminous arrangement of Pura Fé’s Rattle Songs are rich with spirit, texture, and emotional clarity—each movement brimming with reverence for cultural identity and ancestral memory. Don’t let the word “contemporary” fool you; the two new pieces are as accessible and evergreen as a walk through the Great Smoky Mountains. My only gripe? This remarkable release is available exclusively via streaming. Music this resonant and exciting deserves a place on the shelf, not just in the cloud.

available August 15, 2025, via Curtis Studio, on Apple Classical and all major streaming platforms

Dover Quartet performing Woodland Songs at the Curtis Presents concert,
live in Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music, October 25, 2024