Sergej Prokofiev - Accardo, Gorna, Bellocchio - TAPE

TAPE 1

SERGEJ PROKOFIEV
Sonata No. 1 in F minor  for Violin and Piano Op. 80

Salvatore Accardo Violin
Maria Grazia Bellocchio Piano

Andante assai  7'30"
Allegro brusco  7'37"
Andante  8'06"
Allegrissimo - Andante assai, come prima  8'07"

Total Time  31'20" 

TAPE 2

SERGEJ PROKOFIEV
Sonata No. 2 in D major for Violin and Piano Op. 94bis

Salvatore Accardo Violin
Maria Grazia Bellocchio Piano

Moderato  8'28"
Scherzo: Presto - Poco più mosso - Tempo I  5'01"
Andante  4'15"
Allegro con brio - Poco meno mosso
Tempo I - Poco meno mosso - Allegro con brio  7'49"

Total Time  25'33"

TAPE 3

SERGEJ PROKOFIEV

5 Melodies for Violin and Piano Op. 35bis

Sonata in D major for solo Violin Op. 115

Salvatore Accardo Violin
Maria Grazia Bellocchio Piano

5 Melodies for Violin and Piano Op. 35bis
Andante  2'18"
Lento, ma non troppo  3'00"
Animato, ma non allegro  4'04"
Andantino, un poco scherzando  1'29"
Andante non troppo  3'17"

Sonata in D major for solo Violin Op. 115
Moderato  5'34"
Andante dolce. Tema con variazioni  4'02"

Total Time  23'46"

TAPE 4

SERGEJ PROKOFIEV

Sonata in D major for solo Violin Op. 115
Sonata in C major for 2 Violins  Op. 56

Salvatore Accardo Violin (a-b)
Laura Gorna Violin  (b)

Sonata in D major for solo Violin Op. 115 (a)
Con brio. Allegro - precipitato 4'16"

Sonata in C major for 2 Violins  Op. 56 (b)
Andante cantabile  3'16"
Allegro  3'20"
Commodo (quasi allegretto)  4'09"
Allegro con brio  6'05"

Total Time  21'06"

Conceived, recorded and produced by Giulio Cesare Ricci
Recorded in “Sala dell’Ermellino” Casa della Musica, Milano
Recording date February 14th - 15th - 16th, 2020
Recording assistant: Paola Liberato
Valve microphones: Neumann U47, U48
Mike pre-amplifiers, cables (line, microphone, supply): Signoricci
Photos by Paola Liberato

The Master has been implemented with Ampex ATR 102 (Electronic Tube Ampex Model 351 - 1965) 2 tracks, 1/2 inch  30ips modified by David Manley.

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 continues, which began 29 years ago. In this project Maestro Accardo plays with the violinist Laura Gorna and the pianist Maria Grazia Bellocchio. This album contains chamber music by Sergej Prokofiev where the violin is the protagonist: Sonata in do magg. for 2 Violins Op. 56 and Sonata n. 1 in fa min. for Violin and Piano Op. 80.

I recorded this album in the Sala dell'Ermellino - Casa della Musica, Milan in February 2020 For this prestigious recording I used the legendary original Neumann U47, U48 tube microphones We use pairs of Neumann 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. I made the mastering for Vinyl using Signoricci's analog and valve system. A "state of the art" system without sound manipulation, equalization, reverb, compression and expansion ... but natural sound and true timbre to best enhance the acoustics of the Auditorium 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 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. An album not to be missed!

giulio cesare ricci