Musica est exercitium arithmethicae occultum nescientes se numerari animi.
(Music is a secret arithmetic practice of the unconsciously counting spirit.)
Leibnitz
Piano Music in a Church CD
Piano Music in a Church
Almost Analogue Digital
CD Master Release
Almost Analogue Digital CD Master is actually a master disc, an exact digital copy of the original master tape.
Piano Music in a Church
Endre Hegedus plays Chopin and Debussy
TPRCD1 €17.99 (incl. VAT)
Michael Fremer mentioned in Stereophile, June 2009:
"...but the copy [TPRCD1] I have is as fine a piano recording as I've heard on CD"
Frederic Beudot wrote in 6moons.com, August 2009:
"This CD is as rich sounding, dynamic and beautifully scaled as the very best I have heard. (...) The two microphones convey the full sense of scale of the piano and its gigantic dynamic abilities while preserving the ambiance yet clearly show also the boundaries and slightly matt acoustics of the recording space."
David Holgate wrote in tnt-audio.com, September 2009
"You know the feeling when you want to stop thinking technology and just listen to the music? This was it."
As ANY additional manipulation decreases the final quality of music, we decided to publish our master disc without any further transcription. Please, check your CD-player's CD-R compatibility.
(Read more about Almost Analogue Digital...)
Why is this recording very special?
- Live recording with Tone-Pearls
- “Almost Analogue Digital” a new technique with minimal digital distortion.
- The CD is eventually a “master disc”. Every CD was individually created using Kodak Gold Professional CD and the best CD writer, and carefully tested
- Music is captured by just a single pair of microphones and recorded directly to a Nagra IVS TC reel-to-reel tape recorder.
- The recording was made without any manipulation or mixing or postprocessing.
- The most interesting pairing of Chopin and Debussy piano works.
- The “marriage” of the revolutionary new invention, Tone-Pearls and the old unprocessed analogue technique results in a heavenly tone never before experienced.
Recording Details:
Recorded in St Patrick's Church, Kenmare, Ireland: 8-9 October 2008
Produced and engineered by Tone-Pearls Records
Performer: Endre Hegedus pianist
Piano: Steinway D model
Musical director: Endre Hegedus
Cover image: St Patrick's Church (celebrating its 150th anniversary)
Some Feedbacks:
"...but the copy [TPRCD1] I have is as fine a piano recording as I've heard on CD"
"After listening to this CD which combines Hegedus’ musical talent and Tone-Pearls' unique and convincing recording technology, my only regret is to not having had access to their high-definition FLAC files. Considering how natural the CD sounds, hi-rez must be truly stunning. The real question now is, how long until the next release?"
"The sound coming from my KEFs was clean, sweet and very realistic. You know the feeling when you want to stop thinking technology and just listen to the music? This was it."
"This disc is remarkable: The performance by Mr Hegedus is electric and the music itself, lovely. The Tone-Pearls team have captured this performance in way few recordings of piano achieve, ie. with a palpable sense of the instrument and the building it was recorded in. Highly recommended.
I agree with everything they said in the magazine about the CD, especially the part about sounding very natural…hard to do with a piano without incorporating a tonal quality from the recording process. I would like to complain about the applause at the end. I was so relaxed by that point that I nearly had a heart attack; I guess I missed that comment in the Stereophile article as I read later how they did comment about the unnatural quietness of the people throughout the concert. There are several other companies trying to make that perfect CD (eg, Reference Recording which requires special playback software to get the full benefit). There are also now releases of computerized playback of historic vinyl albums (jazz pianists). But your process seems simple and it achieves the feeling of being there."
"The «musical sound» is clearly amazing, surprising (in the digitally-listen trained aera ;-) ) and I am obviously very curious, to understand more about those «tone-pearls». There is a sincerity and something humble in the room, which is clearly also related to Mr. Hegedus's Art & personality, but unclear the ratio between those variables - all together gives me an impression of devotion to the works..."
"Thanks Guys, received the CD a few days ago, that is some fast great service to Canada…Thank you, keep the great music coming."
"First impressions are of a pure, natural, detailed and dynamic recording, quite "close", but at the same time, that word again "natural". Also a great performance. Fascinating in its own way and I shall certainly be in the market for future recordings using the same techniques."
"The service was great and the quality excellent. One thing that keeps me from ordering overseas is the cost of shipping. But your cost was very reasonable and I will definitely keep an eye out for future recordings and purchase. Please add me to your mailing list if I am not on it."
"The cd arrived very quickly and it is a beautiful sounding cd."
Thanks again for the great product and service.
"This is the piano sound I've ever searched for..."
"It is unbelievable. I see the piano, I see the pianist."
"Well they sound totally fascinating and believable..."
"I have heard the quality of the music using the tone pearls, and I am quite impressed."
Tracks to listen: (excerpts in (unfortunately) MP3)
| Track | Time | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| F. Chopin: Sonata No. 3 in B minor Op. 58 3rd movement | 09:11 | |
| F. Chopin: Nocturne in F sharp major Op. 15 | 03:43 | |
| F. Chopin: Waltz in D flat major Op. 64/1 | 01:42 | |
| F. Chopin: Waltz in C sharp minor Op. 64/2 | 03:07 | |
| F. Chopin: Prelude in A major Op. 28/7 | 00:46 | |
| F. Chopin: Prelude in C minor Op. 28/20 | 01:57 | |
| F. Chopin: Nocturne in B flat minor Op. 9/1 | 05:37 | |
| F. Chopin: Nocturne in E flat major Op. 9/2 | 04:08 | |
| C. Debussy: Claire de lune | 05:05 | |
| C. Debussy: Le petit negre | 01:27 | |
| C. Debussy: Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum | 02:09 | |
| C. Debussy: Prélude: La fille aux cheveux de lin with applause | 02:44 |
Buy Piano Music in a Church Master CD
