Vinyl Review: Sonata in A Major – Sheffield Lab 19 – Released 1982
Lab 19 – Schubert – Sonata in A Major – 1982
Vinyl surface noise: 4+ (not pops and clicks)
Dynamic Range: 5
Stereo Imaging: 5
Image depth/perspective: 4
Overall frequency response: 4
Sonata In A Major (Posthumous) D. 959
Side One
- Allegro
- Andantino
Side Two
- Scherzo – Allegro Vivace
- Rondo – Allegretto
Recorded: December, 1981 at the Sheffield Lab Studios at MGM Culver City, California. This album was recorded with all tube electronics and used a single point stereo microphone to achieve a natural acoustic perspective.
Vinyl surface noise was generally good and was not intrusive, but was noted during some of the quieter passages. I also noted several distracting clicks, which over the years I assume that I am responsible for.
I am not familiar with either Jerome Rose or these pieces, but the musicianship and performance were excellent with the music flowing and ebbing from piisamo passages of gentle single notes to full bodied, dynamic fortissimo climaxes, as the performance reached thundering crescendos. I particularly enjoyed the slower Andantino which ultimately rises to a considerable crescendo towards its conclusion.
The recording provided good stereo imaging with the piano firmly fixed between my speakers providing a clear and precise stable image. Having only two short tracks on each side of the album there is plenty of space for dynamics, and the recording delivered this in spades on many occasions, providing some serious crescendos. The studio ambience was quiet obvious on most of the tracks particularly during the quieter slower pieces, adding a pleasant warmth to the piano.
Having a baby grand in my front room, that is often played by my wife and daughter, I raised the volume somewhat to approach what they create. This provided me with a very realistic impression of the piano actually being in my room, almost being able to see Jerome’s, hands and fingers gliding up and down the keyboard.
The vinyl created two very minor tracking issues for my arm and cartridge on side two, both during crescendos towards the ends of both tracks. Overall the recording creating a clean open sound stage with no obvious objectionable spectral colorations with a powerful and natural sounding acoustical piano. Image depth was limited, but that was to be expected. The piano tail out at the end of S2T2 is particularly impressive for its length, decaying gently right into the noise floor together with the studio ambience.
Despite my family members classical training I have little knowledge of classical music, and cannot comment of the musical interpretation and execution of these pieces. Other than to say that, Jerome Rose provided a very tight and enjoyable performance, with no obvious musical errors that I could detect.
This is a very good recording that was well performed and engineered, and is certainly a pleasure to listen to. With tracks, standing out for their gentle intimate feel and their sumptuous crashing crescendos.
If you are a classical music fan of Schubert, and enjoy what sounded to me as a great performance of these classical extracts, by a highly accomplished pianist, this is yet another great performance that Sheffield managed to capture to vinyl. With Sheffield Labs engineers once again managing to provide a signal chain that imposed no limits on the performance, capturing its every nuance, in what was to me, a flawless, and at times, a stirring musical performance.
Yet another for your classical collection.
Purchase vinyl and CDs from Discogs, and CDs from Sheffield Lab.
