Congratulations are once again in order for reprising on your Ultra Analogue label one of the rising luminaries of the classical music world, cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, in sonics that have moved one incremental yet clearly perceptible step closer to that elusive truth we audiophiles seek: the absolute sound.
I quite agree, Ed, you’ve wrought two more recorded masterpieces.
I received the two tapes and just have listened to them. First, we heard Narek last fall when he played (with his Z.E.N. Trio) in San Francisco. He is one of the great young cellists in the world, having won the Tchaikovsky Competition in 2013 (the same one Van Cliburn won in Moscow in 1958 but now it has expanded to include cello). I don't know how Ed is able to get some of the very best young classical musicians to play for him in his home studio near Toronto. Ed (along with his brilliant engineer Tony Ma) have been able to capture the sounds of the instruments so well, as well as capturing the ambience of his home concert hall. The two major works, the last two Beethoven Cello Sonatas, are the main works on the tapes. They are joined by shorter pieces to complete each reel, the Tsintsadze Five Pieces in Folk Style, and Popper Hungarian Rhapsody. Narek continues his traversal of the five Beethoven Cello Sonatas with Ed, having recorded the great third sonata in A (Op69) in an earlier release last year.
Narek shows both his playing chops and his ability to express Beethoven's late period cello sonatas. The Tsintsadze and Popper pieces give him a chance to show off. As with most of Ed's recordings, he has captured them at a live concert in his home. The sense of space is palpable, even with the very quiet audience. You feel you are there, with the musicians and the audience.
Another two great recordings. Ed and Tony really understand the space and they have the recording technique just about perfect. Doesn't hurt to have world class musicians playing flawlessly. Easy recommendation to join his earlier Beethoven cello sonata.
I've always described my audio interest to other people by explaining that it is an example of technology serving the cause of music appreciation and understanding. As I became interested in audio equipment, many years ago, I started reading the liner notes of classical and jazz records and from this developed an appreciation for the music and the people who produce it. Once again this has happened as a result of listening to these two wonderful new tape recordings from UltraAnalogue's Ed Pong. These Beethoven sonatas were composed in the early part of the 19th century and were deemed "unusual and peculiar" by music critics of the day who were used to a more easy accessibility from the master. This abstract contrapuntal style music is pointing the way toward Beethoven's late string quartets and the 9th symphony which followed. After about 30 or so years listeners and critics began reevaluating what their opinions had been and felt that the music was "addressing us from outside and filling the soul within". This "filling the listener's soul" is most true in the adagio con molto second movement of the 5th sonata. The melody is frequently coarse and the harmony is sometimes harsh, but it's tremendously beautiful and poignant at the same time. Just like his life was.
It is the technical skill and musical artistry of these two musicians and the amazing job Ed does with capturing all of this in front of a live (and quiet) audience that gives us listeners the opportunity to marvel at what Beethoven has given. Highly recommended!
