Randall Goosby: Tone

“Tone is a collection of music by artists who possess that magical quality of sound that truly transports the listener,” says the US violinist Randall Goosby. “These are some of the artists,” he adds, “who have shaped my perception of sound; these recordings never fail to inspire me to find a more honest and personal quality of sound—a tone that carries the truth.” From the age of 15, Goosby travelled to and from his home in Memphis, Tennessee to music classes at the Juilliard School in New York. Those precious hours in the air afforded him the chance to listen intently to his musical heroes, many of whose recordings he shares here. “Listen to the sonic partnership between the iconic voice of the contralto Marian Anderson and the revolutionary violist William Primrose,” says Goosby of their performance of Brahms’ song “Gestillte Sehnsucht” with pianist Franz Rupp. “Their sounds complement each other so well, that at times I forget that I’m listening to two different instruments.” Debussy’s “Clair de lune”, arranged for violin and piano, proves the perfect vehicle for the exquisite artistry of David Oistrakh. “Oistrakh was my first love when it comes to favourite violinists. When I was in high school, I remember finding a YouTube video of him playing ‘Claire de lune’ and I must have watched it a few hundred times. It’s some of the most intimate and sensitive playing I’ve ever heard.” And for Goosby, cellist Daniil Shafran possesses a similarly endless sound palette of colours and textures, beautifully highlighted here in Tchaikovsky’s “Valse sentimentale”. “I can only aspire to find this kind freedom of sound and expression,” says Goosby, “and if you haven’t heard of Shafran, this album is a great place to start.”