There are few better places in the city to hear chamber music than this barge floating on the East River, with its live, intimate acoustics and its spectacular view of lower Manhattan.

The intimate acoustics of the school's Borden Auditorium well suited the hovering, crystalline timbres of Pierre Boulez's "Eclat-Multiples" (1964), fearsomely complex and seductive despite itself.

Ms. Phair's debut Matador release, "Exile in Guyville," gets its charge from intimate acoustics; in an enveloping deep voice, the singer fires wry, raw lyrics at various problematic boyfriends.

Ms. Belcea, in particular, has an edgy presence, which occasionally proved almost too intense in the live, intimate acoustics of Weill Recital Hall, but more often imparted clear and balanced direction.

Ms. Rudiakov made the stronger impression, although the hall's intimate acoustics limited her ability to project a poetic impression.

The Santo Domingo performance, befitting its Spanish provenance, was notable for its rhythmic verve (if monks have verve) and its melancholy, otherworldly atmosphere, while our Cistercian contemporaries favor a lighter, more radiantly beautiful sound and a closer, more intimate acoustic.

The players - Jorie Garrigue, violinist, Sarah Davol, oboist, Max Fuller, cellist, Dongsok Shin, harpsichordist and Cheryl Bensman, soprano -gave mostly pleasant renditions of the rather dully formulaic music, their sound warmly enhanced by the intimate acoustic of the Vineyard's tiny theater.

Still, with its view of the Manhattan skyline and its live, intimate acoustics, this remains one of the finest places in the city to hear chamber music.

With its view of the Manhattan skyline and its live, intimate acoustics, this barge floating on the East River is one of the finest places in the city to hear chamber music.

Yet those distractions aside, this remains one of the finest places in the city to hear chamber music, with live, intimate acoustics.