Tomaso Albinoni - Oboe Concertos - Stefan Schilli - Nicol Matt - Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra - Brilliant 93134 (2005) SACD rip via PS3 to iso (3.49GB) | 24bit 88.2kHZ flac | Mch (2.93GB) (+6dB gain) | 2ch (1.22GB) DR12 (+6.00dB gain) | Classical 2005 DSD recording :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- HRAudio.net review by Geohominid March 4, 2007: A qualified welcome from me for this well-filled recording. There are no less than 9 oboe concertos, giving a generous total time of 69' 46". The concertos are drawn from Albinoni's Op. 7 & Op. 9 sets, & include not only favourites such as the D minor, Op. 9/2 but also some for 2 oboes from each set. The playing of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under Nicol Matt is exemplary, using modern instruments: they are sprightly & alert in the ripieno support for the soloists, both of whom are stylish & phrase the slow movements affectionately. All is thus well in the performance department. The recording balance, however, disturbed me & made it difficult to for me to settle down & listen "into" the music. Although the sleeve notes provide ample information about the artists, there is no word about the recording other than it is mastered in DVD - my Marantz tells me it is 5ch. The overall sound is certainly clear & has a good dynamic range, although this is not called upon much in this sort of music. My 1st impression on listening in Mch was that the orchestra was strung out between the speakers without any real front-to-back information. Despite the rears providing sound, there was very little evidence of the acoustic in which they were set, & the players were relatively close, but not quite in my lap. However, the entry of the oboe was disconcerting; it seems to have been spot-miked & so was not integrated into the overall sound, & it was unduly prominent with an improbably large image. There was little or no sign of the hall "bloom". However, at Track 10, Concerto in B flat major Op. 7/3, I was immediately struck by the orchestra being set somewhat further back, exciting a good set of responses from the hall, & the solo oboe also gained a noticeable bloom. I would guess that from Track 10 onwards, either a different session was recorded, & possibly the microphone placements were altered somewhat, or a change was made in the mix. Whatever, I found the sound from Track 10 onwards much more listenable, although the large oboe still drew my attention. In the double concertos my equipment was unable to reliably resolve the 2 instruments spatially, a pity as Albinoni gives them antiphonal music & must have wanted them more spatially separated. Throughout, the harpsichord was hardly audible, just a faint tinkle emerging now & again. Again a pity, because the continuo is such a characteristic & vital part of the whole baroque sound & really enhances the texture when not cowed in the background. I tried the SACD 2ch track, & oddly the overall balance was a little more convincing, although the soloists were still spotlit. Despite my reservations about the balance, I would encourage lovers of Albinoni to acquire this disc, as the performances are lovely & the music is life-enhancing & full of fun, with the beguiling slow movements positively oozing charm. This is not a full-price disc, so is still good value. Oh for a disc which has these concertos played on period instruments, & recorded in a historically-aware manner. with the baroque oboe played by the 1st oboist sitting in the band as he would have done. This music was written long before the days of jet-set expensive concerto soloists who demanded to be at the centre of attention! ~ http://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=4219#reviews Tracks: 01. Concerto in D major, Op.7 No.6 - I.Allegro 02:39 02. II.Adagio 01:40 03. III.Allegro 02:14 04. Concerto f. 2 Oboes in C major, Op.7 No.11 - I.Allegro 02:47 05. II.Adagio 01:49 06. III.Allegro 02:36 07. Concerto in D minor, Op.9 No.2 - I.Allegro 03:42 08. II.Adagio 04:13 09. III.Allegro 02:52 10. Concerto in B flat major, Op.7 No.3 - I.Allegro 02:47 11. II.Adagio 02:01 12. III.Allegro 02:14 13. Concerto f. 2 Oboes in C major, Op.9 No.9 - I.Allegro 03:58 14. II.Adagio 02:30 15. III.Allegro 03:30 16. Concerto in F major, Op.7 No.9 - I.Allegro 02:29 17. II.Adagio 00:57 18. III.Allegro 02:22 19. Concerto in C major, Op.9 No.5 - I.Allegro 03:18 20. II.Adagio 01:56 21. III.Allegro 03:11 22. Concerto f. 2 Oboes in C major, Op.7 No.12 - I.Allegro 02:54 23. II.Adagio 02:00 24. III.Allegro 02:11 25. Concerto f. 2 Oboes in D major, Op.9 No.12 - I.Allegro 03:09 26. II.Adagio 02:08 27. III.Allegro 01:24 Time: 69:46 http://www.filefactory.com/folder/4320386dd4032b9e ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Checksum for iso: 69dc80190fff960d3e3b2a53fac20c16 *Albinoni - Oboe Concertos.iso