117 CD / The Tube Only Violin

5 reviews for 117 CD / The Tube Only Violin

1. Audiophile Audition – 1. April 2005

   German label Tacet began their hi-res releasing with only DVD-A, but recently have been reissuing many of their DVD-A albums as well as brand new ones in a SACD series. Label CEO and engineer Andreas Spreer has, like many other recording engineers, been interested in vacuum tube microphones for some time. He decided a few years back to make an all-tube LP, using tube mics such as the Neumann U47, tube amps powering the cutter, and so on thru the chain. This is now his third Tube Only recording, and of course all three are now on CD or one of the hi-res formats.

   So since there isn′t any tubed SACD-mastering gear, this disc is not quite as all tube as its predecessor, but benefits from the synergistic combination of solo violin and tube microphones. One of the most annoying sounds when recorded with normal digital gear can be the violin′s special timbre. Even though the SACD format reduces that artifact greatly, I am still hearing some violin discs that suffer from a bit of digititus, and I believe it to be due to the solid-state mics and mixers being used early in the recording chain.

   Gaede has a lovely tone to begin with and it is beautifully captured on this disc. The surround mix is subtle but adds to the realism of the two soloists on the frontal soundstage. (This is not one of the one-player-per-speaker hi-res discs which Tacet has also done.) If you have tubes anywhere in your playback system it certainly won′t hurt the rich and very musical sonics of this disc.

   Usually such a program of violin-piano encores would be the same old same old, but aside from Ave Maria and the Mediation from Thais most of these 15 selections are a bit unusual and all are delightful to hear. The Kreisler work is a short three-movement concerto in the style of Vivaldi, heard with the Polish Chamber Orchestra, and in the Hellmesberger Romanze the two performers are joined by three guest violinists. The subtitle of the disc is "Captivating Violin Pieces," and that about sums it up.
   John Sunier

2. Audiophile Audition – 1. March 2004

   Daniel Gaede (b. 1966) is the current concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, a former pupil of Max Rostal and Josef Gingold, which pretty much guarantees his pedigree. He sports a lovely, swift, and polished tone, captured for this recording by the Neumann U47 microphone, the concept′s being to promote a transistor-free audio disc with lifelike sound. Audiophiles may in fact find a warmth to the sonic sheen that alternative, digital recording techniques lack.

   The program of fifteen pieces ranges from Tchaikovsky′s Melody, Op. 42, No. 3 to Kreisler′s Concerto in C Major, "in the style of Vivaldi." The second largest work, the Scene de Ballet, Op. 100 by Charles-Auguste de Beriot, could easily pass for a Franco-Polish virtuoso vehicle by Wieniawski. Gaede and accompanist Liu linger over Schubert′s Ave Maria with old-world charm. I found Ysaye′s Reve d′enfant sweet; I found Schchedrin′s little In the Style of Albeniz piquant and a bit acerbic. Spanish pieces by Moszkowski and Ponce are characteristic, played in the curt, lithe manner of Heifetz.

   What I get from the album is a sense of the 19th Century salon, augmented by a few unusual bits of programming, like Hellmesberger′s Romanze, Op. 43, No. 2. The Elgar, Massenet, Drigo, and Schumann works that fill out the recital are typical of Mischa Elman′s saccharinely sentimental recordings.
   Gary Lemco

3. Cellesche Zeitung – 20. December 2003

   Geigenzauber
   Rarely does it happen like this: the CD arrives in the mailbox, the cover image is unremarkable, the program selection and title seem questionable at first glance. And in the booklet, the focus is mostly on the recording technique, which doesn’t interest the listener in the least. “The music must be good, and the interpretation,” he thinks, setting the CD aside, unheard. Months later, the CD finally makes its way into the player. And then the almost unbelievable happens: it stays there for days, repeatedly played in excerpts, because, aside from a ten-minute Kreisler piece in the style of Vivaldi, it fascinates from the very first note.
   Daniel Gaede performs “Captivating Violin Pieces.” Under this title, miniatures ranging from Schubert to Tchaikovsky to Heifetz are gathered. They transport the listener in a musically simple but profoundly moving way into an apparently untroubled world of intimacy and closeness. Gaede plays with a loving musical seriousness and playful lightness that simply enchants. And the recording technique conveys even the smallest nuance of emotion directly to the listener.
   Reinald Hanke

4. Stereoplay – 1. January 2003

   Daniel Gaede’s Hommage à Kreisler (Tacet 52) I once handed over to my “musical conscience,” a violinist with infallible musicality. Her reaction: “The soul purrs.” Exactly the same applies to this recording. Who nowadays would still tackle an Ave Maria or similar pieces? After listening, however, I must say: had I missed Gaede’s Ave Maria (Schubert), the Méditation (Massenet), and the other miniatures, I would have deprived myself of an experience that has become rare in its touching nature. I am especially pleased that Gaede’s journey through violin literature also fulfills some long-held (semi-secret…) wishes. This particularly includes Charles-Auguste de Bériot’s Scène de Ballett. Gaede, already concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic, reveals a violinistic narrative culture full of loving attention and sensitivity to mood, allowing both himself and the listener time to “immerse” without executing the light-footed Scène with crashing virtuosity. The recording was made entirely using tube equipment and is also released in parallel as a “Tube Only” LP (Tacet L 117).
   Wolfgang Wendel

5. Pizzicato – 1. January 2003

   I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a record where the balance between violin and piano was so perfect, where the piano sounds clear, unthickened, and not the slightest bit muddy. Is it the tube microphones? Quite possibly, since Tacet markets this CD as a “Tube Only” recording, in which no semiconductors (transistors) were used at all during production. And because both the violinist and pianist (in perfectly matched interplay!) operate without any modern additives, without flashy, globally polished virtuosity, but instead with the lovable pathos that these “soul-stirring violin pieces” demand, the program is captivating. Daniel Gaede, long-time concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic, plays very musically, joyfully, with expressive accents and a golden warm tone. He adds just the right amount of richness and sweetness so that the music always remains tasteful. A pure and delightful divertimento. The top rating, however, comes especially because of the recording’s technical quality.
   And because both the violinist and pianist (in perfectly matched interplay!) operate without any modern additives, without flashy, globally polished virtuosity, but instead with the lovable pathos that these “soul-stirring violin pieces” demand, the program is captivating. Daniel Gaede, long-time concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic, plays very musically, joyfully, with expressive accents and a golden warm tone. He adds just the right amount of richness and sweetness so that the music always remains tasteful. A pure and delightful divertimento. The top rating, however, comes especially because of the recording’s technical quality.
   RéF