add to wish list | library


56 of 60 recommend this,
would you recommend it?

yes | no

Support this site by purchasing from these vendors using the paid links below. As an Amazon Associate SA-CD.net earns from qualifying purchases.
 
amazon.ca
amazon.co.uk
amazon.com
amazon.de
 
amazon.fr
amazon.it
 
jpc

Discussion: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2, Vocalise No. 14 - Fischer

Posts: 7

Post by Julien July 19, 2007 (1 of 7)
I read everywhere about the sonic experience in the Vocalise, has anyone heard the noises from the street in the Vocalise too (at least on the stereo part)? Is is huge, cars or trucks I don't know, to me it sounds like Diesel engines (very low frequency). There are many.

Anyway, beautiful disc and outstanding playing and recording for the symphony.

Post by seth July 19, 2007 (2 of 7)
Julien said:

I read everywhere about the sonic experience in the Vocalise, has anyone heard the noises from the street in the Vocalise too (at least on the stereo part)? Is is huge, cars or trucks I don't know, to me it sounds like Diesel engines (very low frequency). There are many.

Anyway, beautiful disc and outstanding playing and recording for the symphony.

At what times do you hear it?

Post by krisjan July 19, 2007 (3 of 7)
I corresponded with Jared Saks about this recording in Sept 2004. Here's what I wrote:

"I recently bought the Rachmaninov Sym 2 SACD and noticed something very odd and annoying ­- there is a noticeable hiss present throughout the recording but it is especially bad during the third movement (much higher in level than the other movements). Is this a problem with my copy or is this something inherent in the recording itself? I would appreciate your comments. Let me end by saying that I really appreciate your support of the SACD format and own a number of Channel releases, all of which have been excellent up until this recent purchase."

Here was Mr. Saks reply:

"Dear Mark,

I would not call it more hiss but indeed there is more 'air' because of the extra number of microphones used. Since the hall was not the best, we had to use more 'spot' microphones in order to get a better balance. It does not take much math to add up all the extra inherent noise that microphones produce from the air passing over it. Especially in SACD with a great increase of signal to noise ratio this problem does arise. (though you are the first to mention this.) Most of my recordings are using minimal amount of microphones so that this problem is avoided.
The third movement will also sound that there is more 'air' because I raised the overall level by 2 db because the level was so soft in comparison to the other movements there were moments that were barely audible. You see I must set the levels to the hardest passage which makes a movement as the third extremely soft.
Our next recording we are using less microhpnes and we hope in january to record in a new hall in Budapest where we can use even less!"

The issue is different from the one you mention but I thought I'd relate my own experience with this recording. I would have to go back and relisten to see if I hear the noises you mention,
Mark

Post by seth July 19, 2007 (4 of 7)
Julien said:

I read everywhere about the sonic experience in the Vocalise, has anyone heard the noises from the street in the Vocalise too (at least on the stereo part)? Is is huge, cars or trucks I don't know, to me it sounds like Diesel engines (very low frequency). There are many.

Anyway, beautiful disc and outstanding playing and recording for the symphony.

Ok, I hear what you mean. At the very start of the track it sounds like a car idling, and then at 9 to 10 seconds it sounds like it driving away.

Post by Julien July 19, 2007 (5 of 7)
seth said:

Ok, I hear what you mean. At the very start of the track it sounds like a car idling, and then at 9 to 10 seconds it sounds like it driving away.

Exactly.

And thank you Mark for sharing that letter, I learned something.

Post by yakman March 14, 2013 (6 of 7)
Capture some (useful) info from tailspn in another thread

"To the comment from Ivan Fischer in the Rachmaninov 2nd and Vocalise booklet, and listeners perspective, there's a bit of window dressing within. I believe Ivan is sincere in his expression, and did want listeners to hear this intimate Vocalise piece from his conducting perspective. To achieve that end, and meet a budgetary restriction, Channel Classics recorded the Vocalise session in a rehearsal hall at the Italian Institute. If you were to ask Jared today about it, he'd say "never again"! You can see a picture of that session on p.12 of the booklet."

This explains why the Vocalise sounds much more conductor perspective than the Symphony on the same disc

Post by channel March 16, 2013 (7 of 7)
yakman said:

Capture some (useful) info from tailspn in another thread

"To the comment from Ivan Fischer in the Rachmaninov 2nd and Vocalise booklet, and listeners perspective, there's a bit of window dressing within. I believe Ivan is sincere in his expression, and did want listeners to hear this intimate Vocalise piece from his conducting perspective. To achieve that end, and meet a budgetary restriction, Channel Classics recorded the Vocalise session in a rehearsal hall at the Italian Institute. If you were to ask Jared today about it, he'd say "never again"! You can see a picture of that session on p.12 of the booklet."

This explains why the Vocalise sounds much more conductor perspective than the Symphony on the same disc

We recorded the Symphony in the Italian Institute. (This is where all the Philips recordings were made.) We had no time left for a filler but indeed thought of vocalise to record the next day in their own rehearsal hall because they were going to be there anyway.
The picture in the booklet shows the main array of microphones in front of Ivan and not behind like a normal set up. In this way you do get the perspective of what the conductor is hearing.

Closed