LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Sonatas for Violin and Piano No. 2, 3, 4 - Accardo, Redaelli, Bellocchio, Manzini - TAPES

TAPE  1

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano in A major Op. 12/2 *

Salvatore Accardo Violin
Stefania Redaelli Piano

Allegro vivace  7'34"
Andante più tosto Allegretto  6'09"
Allegro piacevole  5'50"

Total Time 19'35"

TAPE  2

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano in E-flat major Op. 12/3 **

Salvatore Accardo Violin
Maria Grazia Bellocchio Piano

Allegro con spirito  9'14"
Adagio con molt' espressione  7'19"
Rondò. Allegro molto  4'40"

Total Time 21'13"

TAPE  3

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Sonata No. 4 for Violin and Piano in A minor Op. 23 ***

Salvatore Accardo Violin
Laura Manzini Piano

Presto  8'12"
Andante scherzoso, più Allegretto  9'03"
Allegro molto  5'53"

Total Time 23'11"

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, microphone, supply): Signoricci
Photos by Andrea Micheli

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

Thanks to Micheli Associati for granting the "Sala dell'Ermellino" Casa della Musica, Milano 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, 10th February 2020 the Sonata No. 3 and on 23th - 24th November 2019 the Sonata No. 4.

For this recording I brought all my equipment both analog (Ampex ATR 102 Electronic Tube Ampex Model 351-1965, 2 tracks, 1/2 inch, 30ips modified by David Manley) and digital (Pyramix Recorder, dCS A / D and D / A converters).

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.

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 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.

giulio cesare ricci