Hi Ed
I finally listened to the last of your new tapes yesterday….
I chose the cello tape to listen to first as I love the instrument and your
recordings always bring the instruments to life. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before
I don’t have a lot of listening experience or background in classical music. Your
recordings are becoming my education and I’ve just ordered two Fone recordings. On
tape of course!
As always the musicianship is flawless and first rate. Your listeners have no doubt
come to expect this. You know talent. I am deeply drawn to the interplay of the
musicians. The music is back and forth and sometimes you can’t tell who is playing
what.
I keep coming back to your releases for the sound. I love the sound of the
instruments and in this setting they are naked. I don’t exactly hear the room as
much as I feel it. Studio recordings often have a very closed sound whereas yours
are open. For this reason I have the feeling that the players are in my room, not
yours. I could swear that my speakers are dead silent, even as the music plays.
The sound clearly does not come from them but exists somewhere else.
I always tell people that nothing makes my audio system sound better than tape.
That is especially true for your recordings. The speakers disappear and the sound
opens up. Everything is wider, deeper. I can feel the bass when I should feel the
bass.
I have a love/hate relationship with the violin. It’s so expressive that I suppose
you might expect that. Sometimes when the notes get high it just drives me crazy
but then, oh my God, I love it! That happens over and over with your recordings
because they so accurately document the performance and the instruments.
Your recordings also bring back fond memories of my daughter’s violin and viola
playing. She would occasionally bring over some friends to practice and the house
would fill with music. I especially remember one time with they practiced on our
front lawn much to the delight of our neighbors walking by.
So much for my review. It’s not so much for these recordings as they are for your
body of work. I will say that I will most often start a listening session with one
of your tapes. It sets the mood and is a great start. I will move on to jazz or
folk or rock if I wish or maybe another one of yours. If it’s late and I want to
wind down then a nice UltraAnalogue will do nicely…
Thanks for keeping analog (and tape) alive!
Bruce