LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Sonatas for Violin and Piano n. 2, 3, 4 - Super Audio CD

Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano in A major Op. 12/2 *
1. Allegro vivace 7’34”
2. Andante più tosto Allegretto 6’09”
3. Allegro piacevole 5’50”

Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano in E-flat major Op. 12/3 **
4. Allegro con spirito 9’14”
5. Adagio con molt’espressione 7’19”
6. Rondo. Allegro molto 4’40”

Sonata No. 4 for Violin and Piano in A minor Op. 23 ***
7. Presto 8’12”
8. Andante scherzoso, più Allegretto 9’03”
9. Allegro molto 5’53”

Total Time 1h03’56”

Conceived, recorded and produced by Giulio Cesare Ricci
Recorded in “Sala dell’Ermellino” Casa della Musica, Milano
Recording date November 10th, 2019 *
Recording date November 23th - 24th, 2019 ***
Recording date February 10th, 2020 **
Recording assistant: Paola Liberato
Valve microphones: Neumann U47, U48
Mike pre-amplifiers, cables (line, digital, microphone, supply): Signoricci
Recorded in stereo DSD on the Pyramix Recorder using dCS A/D and D/A converters
Photos by Andrea Micheli

The Mastering for SuperAudioCD was made by Giulio Cesare Ricci using Signoricci’s analog and valve system.

Thanks to Micheli Associati for having granted the “Sala dell’Ermellino” Casa della Musica, Milan for the recording of this album.

The recording collaboration with the great violinist Salvatore Accardo, which began 30 years ago,continues. In this project Maestro Accardo masterfully interprets the Sonatas for Violin and Piano No. 2, 3, 4 by Ludwig Van Beethoven with three different pianists: the Sonata No. 2 with Stefania Redaelli, the Sonata No. 3 with Maria Grazia Bellocchio and the Sonata No. 4 with Laura Manzini. I recorded this album in the Sala dell'Ermellino - Casa della Musica in Milan in three different moments: on 10th November 2019 the Sonata No. 2, on 23th and 24th November 2019 the Sonata No. 4 and 10th February 2020 the Sonata No. 3

For this prestigious recording I used the legendary original Neumann U47, U48 tube microphones from the years 1947 and 1949 with a very natural tone using field effect bi-microphone techniques. These microphones have an important history: they are in fact the original microphones used to record, among others, the Beatles performances in the Abbey Road Studio and by RCA for the “Living Stereo” recordings. The sound I can capture with these legendary microphones is perfectly in line with my sonic taste. No other microphone has such a true timbre and the ability to engrave all the nuances of sound and all the richness of the harmonics.

The uniqueness of these microphones is linked to their ability to make a perfect "sound photograph" and to put the music perfectly placed in the sound space chosen for the recording. For the SACD I used the DSD format, on Pyramix using the dCS A/D and D/A DSD converters. From 1998 to today I record in DSD 64 x 44.1 bit with Signoricci ex Philips workstations that mount Pyramix programs, 904 analog / digital dCS converters and 954 digital / analog dCS converters, all this to make the best SACD fonè. A state-of-the-art system with no sound manipulation, no equalization, no reverb, no compression and expansion ... but natural sound with true timbre to best enhance the acoustics of the Sala dell'Ermellino.

fonè has been offering for almost 40 years recordings made in the name of technological refinement and aimed at recovering the original musical atmospheres. The mastering of the SACD was made by me using the Signoricci’s analog and tube system. The result of this recording is fantastic. With this recording I wanted to give the listener a unique experience. It is as if the listener were sitting on an armchair positioned in the ideal point in the Sala dell'Ermellino.

In this position the sound has a field effect and its depth, width and height are very noticeable. Great dynamics and great precision.

It's an album not to be missed

giulio cesare ricci