Right from the opening bars of the first piece (Violin Concerto in B minor, RV 386), I’m immediately aware of the tremendous dynamism of the sound. The bass is deep, rich and full and within moments I can sense the dimension of the venue. The bass reverberates, filling the air and hanging in the space for a moment, then reaching out to the boundaries of the venue, defining its size, shape and even architecture. Then the sweet harmonious tones of the violins, so difficult to reproduce well, soar silkily above the bass notes and add to the impression of volume (spatial volume, not loudness). They seem to search out the venue’s nooks and crannies, reflecting perhaps off a surface, be it the marble floor, the walls, ceiling.
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Of course the choice of microphones and how they are positioned is critical to capturing this level of authenticity, which Neville relates in fascinating detail
in his report of the event. Also worthy of note is the fact that Mike Valentine used (for the first time on this recording) hugely expensive Zensati cables from microphone to mains – every cable in the recording chain.
To sum up, this is one of the most wonderfully captivating examples of the recording art I’ve ever experienced. It far surpasses anything I’ve heard recorded in a studio. In fact the particulars of the venue and the moment of the live performance are so key that I almost think the recording credits ought to extend beyond the ‘usual suspects’ to include the architect of the hall, the audience, perhaps even the air, the sun on that day in Venice, the cleaners who swept and polished the floors and left just the right amount of dust to add to the smell, etc etc.
