Vinyl Review: Romantic Music For Violin And Piano – Sheffield Lab 18 – Released 1982
Vinyl surface noise: 4+ (not pops and clicks)
Dynamic Range: 4+
Stereo Imaging: 4+
Image depth/perspective: 4
Overall frequency response: 4
Side One
Sonata In E-Flat Major, Opus 18 – Richard Strauss
- Allegro, ma non troppo
- Improvisation: Andante cantabile
Side Two
Sonata In E-Flat Major, Opus 18 – Richard Strauss
- Finale: Andante-Allegro
Romantic Pieces, Opus 75 – Antonin Dvorak
- Allegro moderato
- Allegro maestoso
- Allegro appassionato
- Larghetto
This album was recorded in the Sheffield Lab Studios at MGM, Culver City, California between November 2 and 3, 1981.
The recordng was accomplished using a single stereo microphone.
The lead in track showed some noticeable vinyl noise but this quickly disappeared once the tracks started, with vinyl noise not becoming apparent at any other instant either between tracks or during quiet passages.
The muscianship and performance by these two outstanding musicans was excellent with the music flowing and ebbing from piisamo passages of gentle solo parts to full bodied, dynamic fortissimo climaxes, as the performers reached crashing cresendos.
The recording provided good stereo imaging with the violin firmly placed between the center and left hand speakers and the piano spread nicely between the center and right hand speakers. The pianos dynamic was excellent providing some serious crescendos together with the violin. My only criticism was that the sound was occasionally a little strident, but that could have easily been just my system and the Genelecs. Finding S2T1 to be a more mellow track with a slower tempo and more refined and gentle feeling.
The vinyl created no tracking issue for my arm and cartridge, creating a clean open sound stage with no obvious objectionable spectral colorations. Image depth was very limited, but that was to be expected, with both performers taking front stage. There was only a hint of the studio ambience and reverb, only really being noticeable in between tracks as you heard the musicians setting up for the next track, or hearing something fall or being knocked as in S1T2 during the performance.
Despite my family members being classically trained I have little knowledge of classical music, and cannot comment of the musical interpretation and execution of these pieces. Other than to say that Arnold Steinhardt and Lincoln Mayorga provided a very tight and well integrated performance with no obvious musical errors that I could detect.
Turning the volume up a little provided a more personnel and intimate performance with the feeling that they were almost in my room.
This is a very good recording that was well performed and engineered, and is certainly a pleasure to listen to. With several of the tracks, standing out for their gentle intimate feel and some for their sumptuous crashing crescendos.
If you are a classical music fan of Strauss and Dvorak, and enjoy what sounded to me as a great perrformance of these two classical extracts by two highly accomplished musicians, Arnold Steinhart and Lincoln Mayorga, this is yet another album that should be in your collection.
Available on vinyl and CD from Discogs, and CD from Sheffield Lab.
