AAA Vinyl

If you've already got a version of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" that you like, I'm not suggesting you need a "second opinion" though in my world any well-produced, good-sounding musically worthwhile and well-performed D2D record is a treasure worth owning

However, if you don't have a copy of the old seasonal chestnut, this one, recorded 'direct to disk" would be a good one to own both for sonics and for the performance by Interpreti Venziani—an appropriately Italian ensemble that the producer describes as "the leading Venetian chamber orchestra."

For those unfamiliar, a "direct-to-disk" recording is one where the musicians play, the microphones feed a mixing board (or not) and the board output goes directly to the cutting lathe. There's no tape or digital recorder in between.

There have been many classic D2D recordings such as M&K's For Duke that combine spectacularly natural and transparent sonics with worthwhile performances and many that have great sound and mediocre performances due to "performance nerves": neither performance nor mixing mistakes can later be fixed so what you play is what you get.

What's more, the side has to be played in real time. The cutting stylus hits the lacquer and the musicians must play until the side ends. It can be unnerving for even the best musicians.

In this case the playing is spirited and unrestrained and the recording superbly transparent and three-dimensional, though those who prefer "purist minimally miked recordings" may prefer the more distant, "group in a space" kind of recording. For this kind of small, nine person ensemble, I think producer Mike Valentine's, "minimalist with some spotlight mike enhancement" approach works really well.

The performance was captured at London's AIR Studios and recorded direct to disc to a Neumann VMS 80 lathe. The Gefell, AKG and Flea tube microphones fed an AIR custom Neve board. Record Industry pressed the 180 gram vinyl. The combination of D2D and perfectly quiet disc surfaces produce impressively wide dynamic swings that descend into pitch darkness and ascend to occasionally explosive heights (within the context of a small string ensemble).

I've heard more intensely three-dimensional recordings of small string ensembles but if harmonic structure is King and transparency Queen, then this recording rules. Just don't play it at too high an SPL level. Despite the D2D inhibitions, the Interpreti Veneziani plays here with great spirit. There's also a nice balance of direct to reflected sound—and not as in Bose 901s!

A superbly produced, engineered, performed and presented edition of the "Four Seasons".