Exceptional publications that you should treat yourself or others to.
Let’s start this one with a little philosophical reflection: It’s important to treat ourselves and other people from time to time. This gesture has positive effects on our well-being and our interpersonal relationships. Firstly, it allows us to restore our inner balance. In our hectic world, where we are often caught up in a constant stream of obligations, it is easy to forget to appreciate ourselves. Secondly, indulging strengthens our relationships with other people. When we take the time to surprise our friends and family with something special, we show that we appreciate their presence. Any time is a good time to slow down and is therefore predestined for extensive vinyl enjoyment. Here we present some current highlights, each of which is special in its own way. So treat your loved ones or simply yourself to this audiophile black gold – Vinyl for the Magnanimous!
2xHD
René Laflamme is one of the most sought-after sound engineers in the industry. He advises companies such as Nagra Audio. Together with André Perry, founder of the famous “Le Studio” in Québec, he runs the 2xHD label and publishes audiophile remasterings. Each groove is applied to the vinyl with exceptional precision and care, resulting in an almost perfect surface. This guarantees smooth tracking and minimizes background noise. The sonic mastering applied at 2xHD is particularly impressive. The sound engineers refine every detail of the recording to achieve a rich sound with exceptional depth. The result is a sound quality that immerses the listener in the world of music as if the artists were live in the room. Which brings us to the first recommendation, which impresses with its specific live sound. Even though Jazz At The Pawnshop may be a dead horse for many audiophiles by now, this club concert has never been heard as live and three-dimensional as here. A pressing and mastering without any competition. We find a completely different musical atmosphere, characterized by quiet intimacy, on our next recommendation from the label. Shirley Horn’s album Softly is often regarded as one of the jazz pianist and singer’s most emotional works. Together with Charles Ables on bass and Steve Williams on drums, she immersed herself in extended recording sessions at Mapleshade Studios in Maryland, which lasted until dawn. The re-release at 2xHD’s pressing and mastering level brings out the intimacy of these sessions in an impressive and lasting way. Even though the 2xHD releases come with a hefty price tag, they are definitely worth the investment.
Jazz on Vinyl
Let’s stay with jazz for a while and turn our attention to the small but fine label Jazz On Vinyl, which is dedicated to contemporary jazz. Since founding his label in 2017, sound engineer Dominique Klatte has been committed to a consistently analog production method. The focus here is not on reissues, but on freshly produced new releases with audiophile standards, which is also reflected in the high-quality artistic cover design and the corresponding inlays. To mark the tenth anniversary of the Jens Düppe Quartet, Dominique Klatte has released the recording TENYEARS.
Jens Düppe, undoubtedly one of the current German jazz drummers, is characterized not only by his impressive skills on the drums, but also by his outstanding abilities as a composer and bandleader. Rhythmically pronounced, with complex arrangements and yet melodious – the quartet caters to nerds and aficionados alike. The production immediately makes it clear what it means to finally hear a production without compression with a pronounced dynamic range from the old days. So be careful with the basic setting of the volume control!
AudioNautes
Now let’s take a more contemplative approach to classical recordings: in 1982, a recording was made for the Disques Pierre Verany label in the Notre-Dame de Sénanque Abbey. The ensemble Polyphonia Antiqua arranged 15 musical manuscripts in the form of a medieval liturgical drama depicting the long march of a group of pilgrims to Compostella. Due to its excellent sound quality, the vinyl version of Ultreia! soon attained the status of a highly esteemed reference LP among audiophile music lovers and was quickly sold out. The aim of AudioNautes was to restore the exceptional transparency and musical quality of the 1982 edition. The result is a worthy successor to the original, virtually without running noise and with stupendous dynamics. An exceptional release in terms of both music and production.
Deutsche Grammophon, “The Original Source”
Our next two recommendations are better known. In an earlier Vinyl Corner, we presented Deutsche Grammophon’s “Original Source” series in detail. Two double LPs from the series are currently captivating – especially from an interpretative point of view – and are still regarded as interpretative milestones today, as they bring together two seemingly contrasting interpreters who, however, make sparks fly from these opposites. On the one hand, there are the firebrands Claudio Abbado and Friedrich Gulda, who, in Mozart’s Piano Concertos Nos. 25 and 27, and Rafael Kubelik, who is deeply rooted in his Bohemian homeland, persuades the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which had previously always played in a matter-of-fact manner, to play Smetana’s My Fatherland with dazzling colors and melodic agogics, resulting in a reference to Smetana’s classic that is still unrivaled today. And here too, the Emil Berliner Studios have helped the old DG recordings to new splendor.
Select Publications
Domnérus, Hallberg, Erstrand, Riedel, Johansen – Jazz At The Pawnshop
Label: 2xHD Vinyl
Format: Vinyl 200 g, Deluxe Edition
Shirley Horn – Softly
Label: 2xHD Vinyl
Format: Vinyl 200 g, Deluxe Edition, 45 rpm
Jens Düppe Quartet – TENYEARS (Jazz On Vinyl Vol. 8)
Label: Jazz On Vinyl
Format: Vinyl 180 g
Polyphonia Antiqua – Ultreia!
Label: AudioNautes
Format: Vinyl 180 g
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Klavierkonzerte Nr. 25 & 27
Friedrich Gulda, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Label: Deutsche Grammophon, „The Original Source“
Format: Doppel-LP, Vinyl 180 g, Limited Edition
Bedřich Smetana – Má Vlast
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik
Label: Deutsche Grammophon, „The Original Source“
Format: Doppel-LP, Vinyl 180 g, Limited Edition