I'd officially call the Vn Cto a keeper, what do you say, snypsss?
Yea, I'm listening, and, EVERYBODY should love this one. Stack it up against Prokofiev, Bartok, Berg, Shosty, etc.,... not to mention Barber,... I mean, this thing is American Gothic! Not quite the intensity of Ruggles, which is good! Yea, the bell needs to be rung on this one. The 1st String Quartet is also wonderfully dark (you have that old Koch disc?).
If you hate Sessions, try the Violin Concerto.
I had the Argo disc (6, 7, & 9) in the car today. One of the Amazon Reviewers wasn't too kind to this performance, but, I'm not gonna hear it. I concentrated on 6: there are some felicitous moments of orchestration that reveal Sessions's ear for detail. This Argo disc is a monster!
I also listened to the slow movement of No.3 (CRI). You have this one Karl? No.3 is really a huge Symphony, very well balanced. It also has some of the American Gothic (which I think Sessions lost in the '60s). Sessions's 3rd ranks up there with me.
I might need to pull the
Piano Sonatas next...