Anna Fedorova explores the Intrigues of the Darkness in these programmatic and extremely virtuosic works for solo piano. The album was recorded and mixed in Stereo and 5 Channel Surround Sound Pure DSD 256. It is exclusively available in Pure DSD 256 from NativeDSD! This is a DSD Exclusive, Not Available on SACD release.
The journey from darkness to light begins with Scriabin’s terrifying “Black Mass” Sonata. The work represents a satanic ritual that is possessed by the specter of the Mephistophelian Liszt. De Falla’s Suite from El Amor brujo conjures a mysterious world, full of magic, rituals and ghost visitations. Ravel described his Gaspard de la nuit as “romantic and of transcendent virtuosity”.
These highly evocative pieces are based on Aloysius Bertrand’s prose poems depicting scenes of a hanged man sighing on the gallows and a devilish dwarf. Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition portrays many scenes of darkness but emerges into light with the Great Gate of Kiev, in which triumphant episodes alternate with moments of religious contemplation.
Anna Fedorova, Piano
Often some great actors are more excited about the roles of villains over heroes because they are limitless in terms of interpretation and always give room to try new things and go to extremes in search of your character. I guess I could relate to that. And it’s so fascinating to explore the different ways of four composers I chose for this album and their approach to the darkness, mystery and supernatural.
– Anna Fedorova
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 01:16:29
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | 47124 |
| Qualities | DSD 512 fs, DSD 256 fs, DSD 128 fs, DSD 64 fs, DXD 32 Bit, DXD 24 Bit |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Analog to Digital Converter | Horus, Merging Technologies in Pure DSD 256 |
| Mastering Engineer | Jared Sacks |
| Microphones | Brüel & Kjær 4006, Schoeps |
| Instruments | |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Producer | Jared Sacks |
| Pure DSD Engineer | Mixed in Pure DSD 256 by Tom Caulfield at NativeDSD Mastering Labs |
| Recording Engineer | Jared Sacks |
| Release Date | August 16, 2024 |
Press reviews
Positive Feedback
This new release is a marvel of artistic interpretation, pianistic excellence, and communicative value as Anna takes us on a journey from darkness to light. She opens the 77+ minute recital with a fully engaging performance of Scriabin’s terrifying “Black Mass” Sonata, the Piano Sonata No. 9. It is as complex and challenging a composition as I know, and moments in the music are purely terrifying. She then flows smoothly into a compelling delivery of Ravel’s romantic Gaspaard de la Nuit, which Ravel so rightly described as requiring “transcendent virtuosity”—which Anna assuredly displays. She follows this with the mysterious world evoked in De Falla’s El Amor Brujo and its powerful concluding “Ritual Dance of Fire.” What a thrilling ride across these three well known works.
And this is all in just the first 43 minutes. The remaining 33 minutes is filled with as insightful and powerful performance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (his original version for solo piano) as any I’ve heard. Her characterizations are delicate, creative, fun, terrifying, overwhelming powerful. All rolling, roiling, reeling from one brilliant interpretation to the next.
In her performances she is blessed with playing a truly powerful, sonorous and tonally beautiful Steinway that has been meticulously set up for this recording. It is just gorgeous. The lovely, natural acoustic environment of MCO Studio 1, Hilversum, Netherlands, is a full partner. And is taken to full advantage as Anna allows the massive walls of sound from the Steinway to swell, fill and reverberate in that excellent performance venue.
Jared Sacks captures this as only Jared does—balancing the direct and reverberant sound fields beautifully for some of the most impactful, and beautiful, sound of piano that one can hope to experience.
On top of all of this goodness, Jared was able to release this recording in Pure DSD 256. No PCM post production whatsoever. As a result, all of the sound from the performance is captured and delivered to our ears in utter purity. It is as transparent and natural sounding a recording of a concert grand piano as I have heard.
Here are sonics that are truly a credit to the outstanding musicianship that Anna Fedorova shares with us in this very remarkable recording. Kudos to all involved.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.