[recording] “The other big work, River of Ponds for cello and piano, was inspired by Frank Stella’s series of paintings with that title. Here Bell produces reminiscences of his boyhood in three movements named after fishing holes of his youth. Hymn tunes show up in the second and third movement with the third movement being a double variation on The Old Rugged Cross. The juxtaposition of the famous hymn tune with what sounds a bit like Schroeder’s jazzy Beethoven (from the Peanuts television cartoons) is very entertaining. There is one place in the last movement where the music appears to get stuck rather the way a phonograph needle would periodically stick when playing a record, which is out-and-out funny.

“The performances center around Eric Bartlett, a member of both the New York Philharmonic and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. The recorded sound is very good. This is a fine release.” –John Story, Fanfare May/June 1999

“Larry Bell, who holds the doctorate from Juilliard, has won a long list of prizes and grants, and teaches at the New England Conservatory. This disc offers four compositions which differ widely in mood and performing forces.  . . . River of Ponds derives its title from a series of paintings by Frank Stella. Bell states that ‘the underlying theme . . . is a reflection of his own childhood and the fishing trips he took with his father.’ Special interest and insight are present when the composer participates in the performance–in this case, Bell is piano accompanist.

“The music once again combines traditional and modern sounds–an intriguing and satisfying union. The performances are first-rate (Bartlett is Acting Associate Principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic). It is exciting to find new and rewarding literature for cello!” –Jocelyn Mackey, Pan Pipes, Fall 1999

“The longest and most enjoyable piece is River of Ponds, a three-movement sonata evoking fishing trips taken by the composer and his father in North Carolina. For some reason this work manages to evoke the images that other works only hint at: it is really quite beautiful, humorous in places, and basically a positive experience.” –David W. Moore, American Record Guide, Vol. 63, No. 3 May/June 2000

River of Ponds dates from 1986. The title is drawn from a series of paintings called River of Ponds by Frank Stella, one of which aptly adorns the cover of this release. The composer mentions that the titles of the three movements of the piece refer to his childhood in North Carolina. Black Creek is based on a folk-like, though original melody. The second movement Wyatt Earp’s Pond (a nickname given to a fishing hole near where the composer grew up) is actually a Scherzo with two trios, the latter quoting a hymn tune. The concluding Silver Lake is some sort of varied Rondo partly based on material from the first movement. A substantial piece of tuneful, warmly lyrical cello writing with a hint of Americana sometimes calling Copland to mind.

Larry Bell’s music is contemporary, though very tuneful and warmly lyrical, and – above all – very accessible. Eric Bartlett who enjoys a long association with Bell’s music is a dedicated performer in these fine works, and the composer is obviously also a very fine pianist. A very fine, enjoyable release on all counts. -Hubert Culot, MusicWeb.uk, (Jan. 2003)

[performance] “The two most appealing were from the pen of Larry Bell: ‘River of Ponds’ for cello and piano and String Quartet No. 2. The former takes its title from a series of paintings by Frank Stella, who was a fellow at the American Academy in Rome at the same time as Bell, but it also refers to places and memories of the composer’s childhood in North Carolina. Consisting of three parts, two of them incorporating hymn tunes and the third based on an original melody that turns up throughout the work, it is a solid, old-fashioned piece of writing.” –Arthur Hepner, The Boston Globe (May 2, 1988)