Orchestra: Stuttgarter Kammerorchester
Super Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: ISO
Label: Tacet
Size: 2.61 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Boccerini – La Musica Notturna delle strade di Madrid
02. Sammartini – Sinfonia F-Dur JC 35: Allegro
03. Sammartini – Sinfonia F-Dur JC 35: Andante
04. Sammartini – Sinfonia F-Dur JC 35: Allegro
05. Avison – Concerto XII: Grave. Tempo giato – Largo
06. Avison – Concerto XII: Allegro spirituoso
07. Avison – Concerto XII: Lentemente
08. Avison – Concerto XII: Tempore giato – Allegro
09. Handel – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 2 F-Dur: Andante larghetto
10. Handel – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 2 F-Dur: Allegro
11. Handel – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 2 F-Dur: Largo
12. Handel – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 2 F-Dur: Allegro, ma non troppo
13. Vivaldi – Concerto alla Rustica G-Dur: Presto
14. Vivaldi – Concerto alla Rustica G-Dur: Adagio
15. Vivaldi – Concerto alla Rustica G-Dur: Allegro
16. Biber – Battalia a 10
17. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Vivacae – Allegro – Adagio
18. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Allegro
19. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Andante largo
20. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Allegro
21. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Vivacae
The lengths to which TACET have gone to secure an all-valve (tube) recording chain for this disc might seem perverse to some, but I think that the sound quality that they have achieved is a complete vindication of their unusual approach. The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, under their founder Karl Munchinger, were of course one of the stars of the Decca repertoire during the “Golden Age” of valve mastered recordings in the late Fifties and early Sixties, and this disc has the wonderfully warm string tone of the renowned SXL series LPs from that era. Of course, cynics (or diehard vinyl revivalists) might question the virtues of the latest digital techniques if all they do is take you back to the sound of 40 years ago, but you only have to listen to the dynamics and, of course, blissful silence during the quiet passages, to realise what benefits SACD can offer over its vinyl predecessor. The music is very appealing throughout – the Handel and Corelli are worth the admission price alone, and the other pieces are never less than interesting, particularly the Biber which was totally unfamiliar to me. The performances, to my admittedly inexpert ear, are impeccable, and very lively throughout. All this, and you get a joke too: “No conductor, no semiconductor…..” – who says the Germans have no sense of humour?