“I enjoyed the performances very much, especially the Bruckner and Suk. The sound has a vivid, lifelike immediacy all too rare in studio recordings and the orchestral balance is just right.”
—Norman Lebrecht, private correspondence, 7th April 2009
“I agree [that] your recordings are really excellent fidelity and much better than most commercial ones.”
—John Sunier, Editor/Publisher, Audiophile Audition, October 2009
“Your CDs [...] are spectacularly good. The sound is the best I have ever heard: so clear, vivid and natural.”
—George Schatzkamer, New York, private correspondence, August 2009
“…the presentation is now excellent, with attractive booklets and decent notes. The recorded sound is notable for the unobtrusively natural results that Terry obtained from a set-up that used just two microphone[s …] the quality of the sound is startlingly high … there is some very enterprising repertoire as well.”
—Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012
“Terry’s bold enterprise has had me hooked for hours…”
—Rob Cowan, Gramophone, July 2012
“I’m delighted with the purchase. The nexus of my delight is the recording approach. Call me a traditionalist, but the classic two-mic methodology simply yields a more realistic rendering of what a symphonic performance really sounds like from the seats. […] In summary, these are valued additions to my library. I’m glad that I bought them all.”
—Bob Walters, Bay Area Audiophile Society, October 2012
“I can certainly attest to how much your recordings have enhanced my life. [… We] don’t manage to attend concerts any more because my wife’s virtually housebound with a wide range of medical problems. Yet I can be transported into a world of beauty and deep joy by simply playing the Rowicki Brahms 4, the Ferencsik Brahms 1, the Smetáček Shostakovich 10 (absolutely incomparable), or any of your other treasures. […] I feel so grateful. And I’m sure I’m by no means the only listener who blesses your name. Many, many thanks, dear Geoffrey.”
—Bill Abbie, Edinburgh, private correspondence, 22nd January 2016
“[P]lease accept a standing order for all future releases. Clearly Orchestral Concert CDs is the most impressive record label I have come across for quite a while!”
—Hermann Meller, private correspondence, 4th January 2017
Article: An Unsung Hero of Minimalist Miking (PDF download)
—Paul Serotsky, MusicWeb International, February 2018
“A catalogue limited to just fifteen discs might seem suspiciously sparse, but for several significant reasons these Orchestral Concert CDs more than make up for their blushingly modest numbers … It’s well enough known that Robert Fine (with all due respect for his astonishing achievements with ‘Living Presence’) originally intended to record stereo using just two microphones. However, his experiments failed, and he had to make do with that ‘fabulous three’. It’s rather less well known that where Robert Fine failed, Geoffrey Terry succeeded – and these recordings are the, I might say ‘triumphant’, proof of his pudding. OK, this may not sound like any Big Deal, but it’s actually a far, far bigger deal than it sounds … [T]he performances on these recordings are not peeking monophonically at you, through layers of clicks, pops, murky mush and sizzling sausages […], but basking in the sumptuous glow of some truly outstanding hi-fi stereo.”
—Paul Serotsky, MusicWeb International, April 2018
“Overall these CDs add to the feeling that we owe thanks to Geoffrey Terry for preserving such unrepeatable evenings in the concert hall. I doubt if such straight recordings, made, remember, with just two microphones, will ever again appear…”
—Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, June 2018
“The CDs have beautiful covers…”
—Indranil Poddar, private correspondence, 2nd August 2018
| CD1/2008 |
“[Jan Novák’s] music has hints of Martinů, but also has real character of its own, and the work is well played here: I know of no other recording of it, and lovers of Czech music should try to hear it.”
“…the live sound is excellent…” —International Record Review, April 2009 “[Dvořák’s 9th Symphony] Why am I listening to a 43-year-old live performance of a symphony I’ve heard more often than Happy Birthday? Because the Brno Philharmonic in 1966 are a real Czech orchestra, unlike the modern soundalikes, and the conductor Jiří Waldhans is unafraid to let his brass let rip in organic style. This may not be everyone’s glass of Pilsner, but I found it marvellously refreshing.” —Norman Lebrecht, La Scena Musicale Online, 19th August 2009 “Engineer and producer Geoffrey Terry has captured Jiří Waldhans at his most colorfully magnanimous, a real cornucopia of sound.” [Rating ★★★★] —Gary Lemco, Audiophile Audition, 26th October 2009 “These must be the best sounding recordings ever made in this acoustically troubled venue. Everything is bright, clear and rich, and the performances are outstanding. The Dvořák grips from the very opening and has now become my favorite version of the work [...] Highly recommended.” —Don Hansen, San Francisco on the BBC Music Magazine forum, 13th January 2010 “I’ve listened now twice to the Dvorak 9th on my main hi-fi system, and am pleased to count it as my favourite performance – direct, no putting an ‘interpretation’ on the music, just presenting it as is. Thank you for preserving it, and now presenting it.” —Peter Stanger, conductor and pianist, private correspondence, April 2010 “This [Novák] is music of welcome vitality and uninhibited brio.” “The recording quality is certainly first class and has real clarity and natural balance.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, April 2010 “I played Terry’s recording of the [Novák] work repeatedly when the CD arrived—it’s so full of life, one can’t tire of it.” —Martin Anderson (proprietor, Toccata Classics), Fanfare 33:5, May/June 2010 “The great historical recording of this work [Dvořák] is Talich’s from the early 50s. This is as good a performance, and the sound […] is far superior to the Talich. It has a lightness and clarity that is amazing for its age … [This disc] is worth buying for both the Dvořák and the Novák.” —Carl Bauman, American Record Guide, July/August 2010 “…the Philharmonic Dances are a fine example of [Jan Novák’s] work, very well played here. Novák is still badly underrepresented on CD and I am not aware of any other recording of the Philharmonic Dances, so this is all the more welcome … Again, the live sound is excellent, and this disc is particularly worth seeking out for the Novák.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “[The greatest Dvořák Ninth this] might not be, but if I had it for company on a desert island, I think I’d rest quite content with it … it’s very hard to find any real fault with it, given the numerous unfamiliar but felicitous details that elevate the eyebrows, and a logical flow that sweeps you pleasurably along from start to finish.” “[Y]ou are (well, I certainly was) left wondering why this music [Novák’s Philharmonic Dances] has been in hiding for so many years. The players seem to relish every minute, and well they might, for the music […] is certainly infectious (or even habit-forming […).]” “‘[B]ewitching sound’ is at the heart of this and the other Orchestral Concert CDs … The ‘sound stage’ might be just a wee bit too wide for headphone listeners, but the sonic vista spread before you is quite without parallel – unless, that is, you’re in the centre seat of the front row of a concert hall balcony.” —Paul Serotsky, MusicWeb International, April 2018 “One has to ask if we really need another recording of From the New World. After listening to this lovely performance I am happy to say the answer is an emphatic yes. Particularly, we need this one…” “Jan Novák, a pupil of Martinů and now dead, remains a largely obscure figure. On the strength of these three orchestral dances he should be heard. These would go down a storm at the Proms and I am a little amazed they are so good and yet never since recorded. On the bright side, this performance is lively, almost raucous, and hugely accomplished. Combined with a fine recording, this is eighteen minutes of essential listening…” “The recordings are very good indeed, it is not at all difficult to imagine oneself in the Royal Festival Hall about eight to ten rows back. The sound is rich, detailed and a credit to producer, engineer and all round man-in-charge Geoffrey Terry.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, May 2018 |
| CD2/2008 |
“…a sparkling performance of the Third Piano Concerto by Prokofiev … [Peter Katin’s playing] combines agility, poetry and character most impressively, as well as bristling with rhythmic life.”
“…the recorded sound is splendid – natural and full…” —International Record Review, April 2009 “The sound is outstanding and the playing very fine.” —Norman Lebrecht, private correspondence, 10th January 2010 “There’s a surprising richness to the full orchestral blend, Terry’s two-microphone technique triumphing at least in part over the notoriously dry acoustics of the Royal Festival Hall.” “The pianist is assured, athletic, and technically immaculate … Highly energized and flawlessly performed, this [Prokofiev] is an interesting reading that deserves the enthusiastic applause it receives.” —Barry Brenesal, Fanfare 33:5, May/June 2010 “[Peter Katin is] a splendid exponent, whose legerdemain is matched by an acute structural sense, and whose tonal qualities are laudable. The ensemble between pianist and orchestra is pretty solid. The piano’s treble sonorities against the high winds are a notably successful feature of a recording that in no small degree manages to bring some warmth to the hall’s acoustic.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, May 2010 “This CD has my highest recommendation. Its major work is Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto no 3 in the best performance I have ever heard, and I have 40 recordings of this work.” —Dr David Wright, CD Review 41, 21st July 2011 “[Peter Katin’s] playing is a combination of agility, poetry and elegance, full of rhythmic life and spirit.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “The centrepiece of this disc is Peter Katin’s performance of Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto [… N]owadays it seems that he’s all but forgotten. This recording thus serves as a timely reminder of just what a sensational player he was … Katin’s skills are of a very high order[;] of its kind, his performance is matchless – thank heaven it was recorded, because he never played this work again … [I]t is all so incredibly exciting; in particular, the crescendi will have you edging nearer and nearer to the edge of your seat (so be warned). Geoffrey Terry’s recording […] is well up to his usual standard…” —Paul Serotsky, MusicWeb International, June 2018 “The reason to buy the disc is Peter Katin’s only performance and recording of the Prokofiev 3rd Piano concerto. The notes describe his mixed feelings about the work but what comes over is a superbly confident display of virtuosity which quite rightly brings the house down. This is simply unmissable.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, June 2018 |
| CD3/2009 |
“…this release consists of entirely discography-filling material … The recorded sound is excellent … A warm welcome […] to this disc, which offers considerable rarity value to the violin aficionado.”
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, August 2009 “The live recordings […] show some of the ‘bel canto’ playing for which Campoli was so well known … The recording is very good indeed though the violin is quite closely miked, giving an intimate feel to the playing.” [Rating ★★★★] —Peter Joelson, Audiophile Audition, 28th September 2009 “…I’ve never heard [Campoli’s] fabled tone (nor perhaps anyone else’s) in such vivid fidelity; a similar lushness characterizes the piano’s tone as well … even if the performance didn’t flow so smoothly as it does, the recorded sound would magnify all the reading’s virtues in ratio in which many recordings diminish them.” “At moments, Campoli’s sound could freeze a windsock in a hurricane … these live performances sound communicative as well as brilliant … This issue deserves to be a part of most collections … Very strongly recommended.” —Robert Maxham, Fanfare 33:4, March/April 2010 “The beauty of this recording is in the stellar playing, the sincerity of the musicianship, the straightforward sophistication of the interpretations, and the intimacy and high quality of the recorded performances.” —Elaine Fine, American Record Guide, July/August 2010 “…as well as Campoli’s lovely and very individual sound, the intelligence and responsiveness of his playing is captivating, matched by the combination of energy and subtlety in Katin’s Mozart playing – a particular joy here.” “…it is a great musical treat to hear these two musicians in this work [Brahms], especially their very expansive reading of the slow movement and the discipline and vigour of the finale.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “These are compelling duo recordings … The three popular sonatas come out of the loudspeakers with stunning presence and immediacy. Recommended, and do explore this special small label.” —Peter Grahame Woolf, Musical Pointers, June 2012 “…in an outstanding programme, the great duo of Alfredo Campoli and Peter Katin play [the Mozart and Beethoven] with exquisite taste, refinement and velvety tone…” “The [‘unforgettable’ Brahms performance] captures the magical intimacy of two great musicians making music together at home, and the results are spellbinding. Strongly recommended.” —The Strad, July 2012 “Remarkably clear recordings enable us to savour the warmth and passion of Campoli’s playing. Katin, too, is admirable, maintaining rock-solid ensemble.” —BBC Music Magazine, December 2012 “[Campoli’s] profile hasn’t been as high as it should be, in my view. The sound quality in both venues is top notch, with balance between violin and piano ideal. [Campoli’s home] offers a radiant glow and intimacy which is particularly attractive. All the works constitute a valuable addition to the Campoli discography, as none of this [is] music he recorded commercially.” —Stephen Greenbank, MusicWeb International, March 2018 “All three performances share exactly the same almost effortless ‘feel’; it’s not easy to put into words, but something along the lines of ‘two soloists with highly individual personalities at complete ease with one another – and doing what comes naturally.’ And ‘natural’ is probably the operative word: it’s as if the music is pouring out of them ready-formed. Katin’s precision and incessant dynamic subtlety make a splendid foil for Campoli’s rather freer expressivity, graced by the occasional bit of well-judged portamento and a flexible tone that tracks the mood of the music phrase by phrase – not for nothing, it would appear, was Campoli nicknamed ‘the bel canto violinist’.” “All in all, I found this a fabulous disc. You can regard it as an important historical document – which I suppose it is – but really that’s just for starters. It›s also a valuable record of an exceptional partnership at the top of its form (twice!) and a trio of absorbing and entertaining performances. I wouldn’t dare go so far as to claim any sort of ‘reference’ status but, whatever your favourites may be, this set would sit very nicely alongside them – and, yes, maybe even pinch first place in your affections.” —Paul Serotsky, MusicWeb International, January 2019 “Alfredo Campoli and Peter Katin were stars in their day and these three sonatas are performed with absolutely perfect control and unanimity.” “The piano – a modern one, inevitably – is at least as powerfully projected as the violin. The latter is just occasionally almost drowned out by the larger instrument, a simple reflection of reality and another example of the utter fidelity of Geoffrey Terry’s recording technique. No attempt whatever has been made to spotlight either instrument; effectively you get what the audience would have heard.” “Those who admire Campoli and Katin should not hesitate to add this very naturally-recorded CD to their collections.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, April 2019 |
| CD4/2009 |
“There is potency and vivid pleasure throughout the performance … This [recording] fills a real need and catches [The Czech Trio] on the wing, on tour, and on splendid form. The recording is equally vivid and allows one to hear considerable detail without detracting in any way from the ensemble sureties on show. It goes to show how immediate, and yet sympathetic, good microphone placement can be. This excellent disc earns my warm admiration.”
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, January 2010 “This performance [of the Dumky Trio] is perhaps the finest that I have heard. It has the proper Czech lilt. The notes reprint some of the reviews of the concert that appeared in the newspapers in the days that followed, and they concur that the Dumky was superbly played.” “The Beethoven Trio was also well played … Overall, it is one of the finest performances of this work that I know.” “The Martinů is the encore. It’s too bad that the whole trio wasn’t performed as it, too, is very well played.” —Carl Bauman, American Record Guide, July/August 2010 “[…] artists are often most inspired when playing live, as opposed to the cold loneliness of the recording studio. And I must say I find your recording very good and am very happy to own it now. I will certainly recommend it.” —Jean-Gaspard Páleníček (grandson of the pianist), private correspondence, 14th October 2010 “The Czech Trio […] was a formidable ensemble live: fearless but superbly controlled, committed and stylish. These characteristics come through impressively in the two trios recorded at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in October 1972: Beethoven’s ‘Ghost’ and Dvořák’s ‘Dumky’. The Beethoven is excellent, but the Dvořák is the highlight: a performance of remarkable eloquence and understanding.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “The audience is commendably silent, and the playing remarkably poised and assured…” —The Strad, July 2012 “…the Czech Trio (including legendary pianist Josef Páleníček) are at their most spontaneously joyful in the Ghost Trio and emotionally arresting in the Dumky.” —BBC Music Magazine, August 2012 “[T]his is a recording in sound quality that is startlingly natural yet exciting. The recorded balance is perfect […] and the sound stage is immaculately presented … [A] musical gem worthy of any chamber music collection…” —Amazon review by ‘David’, 5th March 2016 “The Beethoven Trio is played with astonishing unanimity, from its almost aggressive opening through the wonderfully mysterious string duetting of the largo to the vivacious finale … [The] fabulously good Dvořák playing […] alone is worth the price of the CD … The [Martinů] is only a four minute encore and not the entire 2nd Piano Trio: it is brilliantly done nonetheless.” “The recorded sound positively leaps out of the speakers. [T]his disc is highly recommendable since it preserves a classic group performing at their best. The audience is very quiet until needing to applaud vociferously at the end of each item.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, May 2018 |
| CD5/2009 |
“…a thoroughly sympathetic reading from Ferencsik … The huge orchestral tuttis impress us with their singing intensity … Tumultuous applause [from] a slightly hysterical mob of Londoners who thought this concert a smashing success.” [Rating ★★★★]
—Gary Lemco, Audiophile Audition, 4th November 2009 “…the recorded clarity allows us to hear the wind playing with unchilly brilliance, as well as the Hungarian warmth of the strings … A considerable amount of panache is on display … there is a palpable sense of engagement […] captured with immediacy by the splendidly consistent and clarity-conscious recording set up.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, February 2010 “This is also one of the very few performances I’ve heard that catches the [Kodály’s] humorous edge, rather than just its color … [A] complete live concert more than worth the price of admission was caught in fine sound; and we are the beneficiaries. Definitely recommended.” —Barry Brenesal, Fanfare 33:5, May/June 2010 “While the superbly idiomatic Dances of Galánta are an undoubted highlight here, the Egmont and Brahms C minor Symphony are both readings of genuine stature – strongly projected, fine-grained and captured in some of the best sound of any of the discs here – it’s quite astonishingly lifelike.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “I always comment on the OCCD recording quality as being clear and alive in these simple and immediate twin-microphone recordings … Once again Geoffrey Terry has achieved his aim to preserve live music making ‘for the record’, as one might say. Without these efforts a lot of excellent performances would be only memories.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, August 2018 “[I]t’s an astounding disc from start to finish … I am utterly astounded at the pristine, natural sound that you were able to achieve [with only two microphones… how can that be?]; each portion of the orchestra sounds out clearly… and when we need amplified tympani in the first movement of the Brahms symphony… somehow we get it [without any artificial studio tinkering]! Ultimately, then, you are owed yet another ‘bravo’ for an outstanding achievement.” —Sean O’Neill, American Midwest, private correspondence, 20th June 2020 |
| CD6/2009 |
“The performance is excellent and the sound for its day is superb.”
—John F. Berky, Editor, Anton Bruckner Symphony Versions Discography, October 2009 “This 1967 Seventh differs from Masur’s other accounts in its greater spontaneity and the exceptionally vivid quality of its recorded sound … if you are seeking to have a memento of Masur’s Bruckner at its most appealing, this CD is the way to go.” —Jeffrey J. Lipscomb, Fanfare 33:5, May/June 2010 “[W]e must give serious consideration to the frisson of this live London performance … There are […] strong reasons interpretatively to prefer this 1967 reading and, with highly sympathetic sound into the bargain, Masur admirers have now found another reason to acquaint themselves with this performance.” “Once again [Orchestral Concert CDs] shows that a simple yet optimum recorded set-up can deal very nicely indeed with even a problem venue such as this.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, June 2010 “This is a cogent, unmannered reading that makes its considerable impact through unflashy musicianship, a fine sense of Brucknerian symphonic trajectory and a refined ear for inner detail and the colours of the composer’s orchestration. The sound of this live recording is clean and clear – like a very good broadcast from the period. Masur’s conducting of this symphony has remained remarkably consistent and is extremely satisfying … This is a most rewarding disc.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “This is Bruckner at his most lyrical, radiant and powerful. Kurt Masur and his great orchestra miss none of those characteristics … Here the Berlin Staatskapelle turns in a blazingly intense performance that rightfully brings cheers from the attentive audience. The great Adagio is given rendered particularly movingly by a conductor who seems to have been one of the great Bruckner masters. He handles all the strange transitions and pauses with a natural ease that has not always been achieved by interpreters. This entire performance just sounds right.” “I am in debt to Geoffrey Terry for preserving such an impressive performance … [The Berlin Staatskapelle] sounded as wonderful back in the 1960s as they did [in recent years], also at the Royal Festival Hall, also playing Bruckner. No studio recording exists of them with Masur in this work, so this live version is the more welcome.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, July 2018 |
| CD7/2009 |
“Let’s say straight off that it’s a splendid, often thrilling performance. The bright sound of the hall, allied to the excellent recorded set-up by engineer Geoffrey Terry, has ensured that certain moments register as seldom if ever before.”
“This latest entrant takes a worthy and high place in the pantheon of recordings of this masterwork.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, October 2009 “This is an intensely dramatic, detailed Asrael, alive to the sudden changes of emotional character throughout.” “Terry accomplished a great deal with his two-microphone technique … [N]othing can dilute the power of the performance. Even if it had not been captured half as well, it would still be worth hearing. As it is, we can only be glad the engineering side of matters was in such capable hands … The performance is incandescent…” —Barry Brenesal, Fanfare 33:5, May/June 2010 “The definite highlight of the batch is the live 1968 Waldhans/Brno account of Suk’s very under-rated masterpiece, Asrael. I have now heard the CD four times, and it seems to get better with each listening. Along with the classic first-ever Talich/Czech Philharmonic studio account (mono Supraphon), this is the finest Asrael I have encountered.” “[…] right now, this CD is a leading contender for one of the five selections on my ‘2010 Want List’ for the November/December issue of Fanfare.” —Jeff Lipscombe, Fanfare, private correspondence “What is fascinating to me is how one can hear deep into the orchestra at minimal (read: ability to talk with someone else while listening) volume, which effectively replicates my experience when I attend a ‘live’ symphony concert event.” —Gordon Gray, Jackson, WY, private correspondence, 29th May 2010 “[Waldhans] takes an impressively dramatic and serious approach to Asrael that certainly makes this a very tempting alternative…” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “[T]his work requires the best possible sound, and that’s exactly what it receives here … this live performance has been captured with an astonishing realism and presence that let the tenderness and ferocity of the music register with a transparent clarity and bone-rattling power.” “…this performance is something very special indeed.” “We are indebted to Geoffrey Terry for having preserved what is more than just a great performance of Suk’s masterpiece, but a historic occasion.” —Max Westler, EnjoyTheMusic.com Review Magazine, April 2015 “One could warm one’s hands on this reading of Josef Suk’s masterly symphony. Geoffrey Terry has made a recording to be proud of, so this CD falls firmly in the category of ‘What’s not to like?’” “The large and complex nature of this Late Romantic composition gives [Jiří Waldhans] an ideal vehicle to show control of scale and detail without losing sight of either. The dramatic outbursts are very exciting indeed and the long melancholic stretches remain both absorbing and very moving.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, June 2018 |
| CD8/2009 |
“The Mozart and Haydn works are […] both for the most part enjoyably stylish with impressively sonorous, unanimous string playing in the former and many fine solo contributions in the latter.”
—Boyd Pomeroy, Fanfare 33:5, May/June 2010 “The orchestra is a fine one, but its style, particularly in Bach, reflects older ideals … On the other hand, their style, which brings out a cantilena quality […], reveals dimensions of his harmony and phrasing that period groups regularly overlook.” “Bosse is a fine soloist in the concerto” “The sound is good for a concert recording of the period” —Paul Althouse, American Record Guide, July/August 2010 “Bosse is the soloist and director and he’s an accomplished practitioner in both arts.” “It’s a performance of considerable merit.” “The recording is very decent, capturing Bosse’s tone with fidelity.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, September 2011 “…a performance of sturdy conviction that is characteristic of Bach playing at the time. There are solid musical virtues here that will appeal to anyone who yearns to relive this kind of approach to Bach.” “Mozart’s Divertimento in D, K205 is done with poise, as is Haydn’s Symphony, ‘Le Matin’ – perhaps my favourite performance on this disc.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “This CD is of particular significance because the orchestra rarely appears under this name nowadays … They do not use period instruments but do conform to period practice as far as they can.” “This recording, made at the Camden Theatre, […] is clear and well spread left to right, simply reproducing the sound as heard from the centre of the stalls … It is all very real and, as a record of past performance style, it is of considerable interest. The audience are fairly restrained during the music and greet the concert with justified enthusiasm.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, August 2018 |
| CD9/2009 |
“On this disc the orchestral sound in the hall is well captured, in good stereo with a lifelike balance and dynamic range…”
“I am glad to have discovered [Saša Večtomov’s] playing, for on this evidence he was a world-class artist … [his] aristocratic playing deserves a hearing, and the disc should certainly be of interest to cellists and collectors of multiple versions of the concerto.” —Boyd Pomeroy, Fanfare 33:5, May/June 2010 “As the concerto develops it’s clear that Večtomov, so august a member of the Czech Trio, was certainly a big enough concerto soloist, but one who does not seek to impose his personality onto the music. Instead he illuminates it from within.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, June 2010 “Večtomov is an excellent cellist … the performances are worth listening to, and of historical importance.” —Carl Bauman, American Record Guide, July/August 2010 “[Večtomov] was one of the finest Czech cellists of his generation but his work as a soloist is not as well known as it deserves to be. That he was a great player is confirmed by the performance of the Cello Concerto here: despite boxy acoustics (a consequence of the concert being given [in] quite a small theatre), this is a memorable account and it is captured in realistic sound. Few of Večtomov’s commercial recordings are available at the moment, making this release particularly valuable.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “The Czech Trio’s cellist Saša Večtomov has a real chance to shine in Dvořák’s B minor Cello Concerto … Večtomov plays with a noble dignity that is at its most poetically eloquent during the sublime Adagio slow movement.” “…considering the concert was recorded virtually on the hoof in an unaccommodating old town hall it has come up sounding remarkably good.” —The Strad, July 2012 “The driving force behind this recording was to capture Saša Večtomov’s performance of the Dvořák Cello Concerto … Arguably, this serendipitous recording session captured not one, but two splendid performances, because the Suk is also very well performed.” “Here we have a recording captured in sub-optimal circumstances, in a rather boxy acoustic, with a respectable but not world-class orchestra […yet…] I can quite understand why the proprietor of Orchestral Concert CDs remembers this present occasion as a performance landmark which simply had to be issued for public consumption. Here is a reading of such poise and insight that all problems of balance and some small orchestral shortcomings […] pale into insignificance … Večtomov does not put a foot wrong and importantly never overdoes the emotional drama. The result just sounds ‘right’, ‘dignified’ as another reviewer put it, quite enough for this CD to be essential listening even if one has multiple alternatives on one’s shelves.” “[T]he lovely orchestral suite A Fairy Tale by Suk is also performed with a perfect mixture of drama and lyricism … I was surprised to find its performance an equally good reason to hear the CD as the Dvořák.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, February 2019 |
| CD10/2010 |
“[Košler’s] Tod und Verklärung gains in amplitude and expressive depth, Košler reserving the longest of lines for the work’s moving culminatory pages. Earlier he is plangent and the wind playing is notably communicative.”
“This [Dvořák] is a considered but highly personal view of the symphony.” “The recording has been well realised […] well balanced and well caught by the microphone.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, November 2011 “… transparent textures, rhythms that are always animated as well as clear, an effortless handling of tempo changes and an acute sense of the bucolic character of the music [Dvořák]. Košler’s handling of the contrasting moods and speeds of the first movement is very effective, and the rest of the performance is on a similar level of excellence – the finale is particularly vibrant. The purposeful and direct account of the Strauss is an admirable coupling.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “Dvořák’s 8th is simply magnificent, the more so given how often these players must have performed it. There is no hint of routine anywhere. The rhythms have a lift and an incisive quality born of native instinct and the impact is helped by the distinctive colouration of the wind and brass.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, June 2018 |
| CD11/2010 |
Note that MusicWeb International reviewed this disc in comparison with a CD of a studio recital, recorded by Peter Katin a few years later and featuring some common repertoire:
“The Croydon recital is much more present acoustically and timbrally too, and Katin’s playing is heard on the wing with great immediacy. I much prefer the Croydon performance for its drama and intensity and also for the recorded sound, which is excellent … [the OCCDs recording] catches his tone with great warmth…” “On balance the older Croydon performances, where there is overlap, are far superior in terms of recorded sound and also, usually, interpretatively.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, May 2012 “These are deeply impressive performances, notable for the combination of architectural control and expressive poetry that Katin brings to his Chopin, which is most impressive in the B minor Sonata and the sometimes elusive Fourth Scherzo, played here with irresistible relish.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “…Katin offers outstanding delicacy, flair, poetry…” [Performance: ★★★★★] —BBC Music Magazine, August 2012 |
| CD12/2011 |
“Wanda Wiłkomirska presents herself here as one of the great storytellers on the violin. She plays one of the most important concertos of the 20th Century, and the recording technique is sensational. An unrepeatable constellation.”
—Wolfgang Wendel, German Record Critics’ Award (Quarterly Critics’ Choice for Q4 2012 in the Historical Recordings category), 5th November 2012 “Wiłkomirska remains sweet, and focused, of tone throughout … her assurance is perhaps at its zenith in her playing of the Passacaglia, which is powerful, virtuosic, expressively cogent, and where we find she retains virtuosity and tonal vibrance to the very end. This joins the admittedly small discography of the work, and does so on sheer merit.” “Rowicki directs a compelling, dramatic Tchaikovsky Four … With a sweeping battalion of strings at his disposal, punctuating brass and amazingly vivid percussion definition, courtesy of another of [OCCDs’] top class microphone placements, this is a seismic rendition of the symphony.” “Hair-shirt production values from this company ensure that terrific concerts such as this have a continuing and richly deserved afterlife.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, December 2011 “Really, your recording is of demonstration quality, with all the clarity one could ask for. The balance between soloists and orchestra, the dynamic range and the stereo separation are excellent. Well done!” —Graham B. Slater, former BBC engineer, private correspondence, 5th February 2012 “[T]his is a breathtaking performance of the Britten […] Musicianship of the highest order from sol[o]ist, conductor, and orchestra IMHO. And a simply stunning live performance exquisitely recorded. Nothing is lost. Quite outstanding, and one of my ‘best buys’ this year.” —Andrew Magnay, UK on the Violinist.com forum, 22nd May 2012 “[…] Wiłkomirska’s radiant performance is typical of her supremely agile, subtly inflected and lyrical playing style, and Rowicki accompanies with his characteristic skill. This disc is well worth acquiring for the Britten alone, but Rowicki’s account of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony is remarkable too. This is no routine outing for a familiar warhorse but a thrilling performance that seems to relish living dangerously and that bristles with dark, propulsive energy from start to finish. The impact of the playing is helped by the superb sound of the recording – [… this disc is] an extraordinary success from a technical point of view as well.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “Climbing a few rungs up the sonic ladder finds us in the company of the fine Polish violinist Wanda Wiłkomirska with the Warsaw Philharmonic under a favourite conductor of mine, Witold Rowicki, for a brightly lit presentation of Britten’s Violin Concerto.” “…stereo results […] rival those that the ‘majors’ were achieving with a budget of thousands! This particular concert […] also includes a highly combustible Tchaikovsky Fourth and the thrilling ‘Mazur’ from The Haunted Manor by Moniuszko.” —Rob Cowan, Gramophone, July 2012 “Wanda Wiłkomirska is a distinguished advocate of the Britten Violin Concerto, and was clearly on top form at a Royal Festival Hall performance in 1967, […proving] movingly persuasive in the work’s many lyrical passages.” —The Strad, July 2012 “[The performances] are, in a word, riveting … [Wiłkomirska’s] performance of the very difficult Britten concerto is simply awe-inspiring. I was struck dumb by her increasingly arching upward phrases, at times almost making her violin sound as if she were trying to break into the ionosphere … I was absolutely mesmerized by Wiłkomirska’s performance and I think you will be, too.” “[T]his is a heck of a great disc and I recommend it highly. It won the 2012 German Record Critics’ prize, and well deserved it.” —Lynn René Bayley, Fanfare, 36:3, January/February 2013 “At the time, [a live performance in Chicago of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony by the Warsaw Philharmonic under Witold Rowicki in the early 1970s] was the greatest performance of the symphony I’d ever heard. … Well, here it is. … [this] is in every way the same kind of performance I was to hear in Chicago a few years later, and it is every bit as good as I remembered it.” “Wiłkomirska and Rowicki have the full measure of this complex and tragic work [Britten Violin Concerto], and their performance is as heart-rending and searing as the composer’s own, recorded for London a few years later.” “What you get […] is an orchestra playing with an intensity rarely encountered in studio performances. Rowicki asks for everything they have, and that’s exactly what they give him. Finally, the sound is very good for a live performance from 1967, spacious and brightly lit … this recording is an important document of a remarkable concert. If you’ve been looking for a Tchaikovsky Fourth that burns at the white heat, here it is.” —Max Westler, EnjoyTheMusic.com Review Magazine, October 2013 “Rowicki is a sensitive conductor who responds instinctively to every nuance and inflection of Wiłkomirska’s playing. She has a real affinity for the Britten Concerto … Throughout, she meets the technical challenges head on, always taking them in her stride. It’s a performance of compelling conviction…” “Next up is an electrifying performance of the ubiquitous 4th Symphony by Tchaikovsky … If it’s sheer breathtaking, visceral excitement you want, then look no further … This is certainly the most thrilling and high voltage performance of this symphony I’ve ever heard!” “The audience are treated to an intoxicaing encore in the shape of a Mazur from Act IV of Moniuszko›s Straszny dwór (The Haunted Manor), setting the seal on one heck of a concert; I wish I’d been there!” —Stephen Greenbank, MusicWeb International, February 2018 “It is not at all surprising that [this CD won an award] not only for this [Britten] performance but for the very good and realistic recording quality. One really does have to double take at the recording date when listening. The majors were achieving as much in the studios with multiple microphones during the 1960s but to manage it under live conditions with two microphones at a public concert, and in stereo, is quite something. It is very satisfying to round off a review of a large pile of these CDs with something as good as this.” “The Tchaikovsky is treated to a performance which can best be described as fearless … By the end it is as much as one can do not to leap to one’s feet and cheer along with the audience.” “The recording of the Moniuszko is similar to the Britten in clarity and dynamic range … [W]hat we have here is a fascinating disc of a very fine concert by one of Europe’s great orchestras, conducted by one of the finest directors they ever had. And then there is Wilkomirska, whose contribution is quite simply peerless. This one you have to buy…” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, September 2018 |
| CD13/2011 |
“[…] a sinewy and powerful Leonore no 3, Masur extracting every ounce of tone from his band’s ‘bass up’ German sonority. But smaller details are also well attended to … It’s followed by Haydn’s Symphony no 88 in a robustly rewarding reading.”
“[The Dessau is] an intense distillation of Brecht’s art and achievement, rather than a simple memorial piece as such. [In the Mahler, Annelies Burmeister’s] contralto is finely controlled and richly burnished. She’s in good voice and proves a laudable exponent.” “The recording quality captures both venues with real fidelity, offering a natural audience perspective shorn of spotlighting. It’s a well balanced disc into the bargain.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, May 2012 “…an enterprising programme … it’s fascinating to hear Dessau’s seldom-heard tribute to his friend Brecht.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “[T]he performance is lovely and enhanced by the fact that Ms Burmeister does not have her own microphone and is thus balanced within the orchestra and not on her own in front.” “Geoffrey Terry’s recording reflects the two very different acoustics in which he was working. The Hastings venue sounds clear but dry and rather workaday, whilst the RFH sounds a little more alive. The fact that this is clearly audible in recordings half a century old shows how good they are … I continue to be amazed at how natural it all sounds knowing that Mr Terry used only two microphones, probably because he does! … The entire series continues to be very collectible.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, July 2018 |
| CD14/2011 |
“I’ve heard the [OCCDs Shostakovich] 10th several times, and agree that it’s exceptional; better than any others I’ve heard. (I believe that the first time I bought it on LP was on DG with Karajan, which was exciting, but nothing like yours.)”
—Joel Flegler (publisher and editor of Fanfare), private correspondence, 30th December 2009 “The Royal Festival Hall is a notoriously unforgiving acoustic which especially at this time had a problematic, dry clarity. Nevertheless with canny and practised microphone placement this recording captures fidelity without undue spotlighting. It also captures the full complement of strings that the Prague orchestra took with them.” “This fine performance, extremely well captured in sound, is a most worthwhile addition to the discography of the Tenth.” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, March 2012 “Smetáček was a fine conductor and here he shows an outstanding grasp of the long symphonic span of the first movement and a gripping, frenetic kind of urgency when it’s called for elsewhere. The orchestra plays with tremendous clarity and attack (as well as taut discipline) and the result is an account that deserves a very warm recommendation. The sound is particularly clean … this is a remarkable performance.” —Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012 “Imagine my surprise when, opening the booklet of this CD, I saw a blurb praising the disc from my editor and publisher, Joel Flegler! Flegler’s rave for this disc references the Karajan recording, which just happens to be the performance I own … So I made the inevitable A–B comparisons.” “[T]he rhythmic elements […]—like the sonorities—are crisper here than in Karajan’s hands … [W]hat is more interesting is the manner in which Smetáček plays the majority of the symphony, so that—thanks to the much greater transparency of texture—it is considerably lighter than Karajan without sacrificing a whit of Karajan’s emotion or energy. The sound quality on this 1968 live performance is […] clear, bright, and fresh…” “Bottom line: Karajan’s version is now out of my collection and Smetáček’s is now in. This one is truly a gem.” —Lynn René Bayley, Fanfare, 36:2, November/December 2012 “[This is] the most riveting, satisfying and moving performance of this great symphony I’ve ever heard. I’ve played it over and over again in the months since I bought it.” “Your production and engineering on the Shostakovich strike me as things of wonder, with your superb skills placed completely at the service of the music.” “Many, many thanks for one of the greatest experiences in almost 50 years of listening to recordings of classical music.” —Bill Abbie, Edinburgh, private correspondence, 30th November 2012 “[T]he cheers of the audience at the end of this tense and exciting performance speak volumes as to [the Prague Symphony Orchestra’s] quality. The [CD booklet] notes are useful and the linked website provides lots of interesting technical information explaining why this sounds as good as it does.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, February 2018 |
| CD15/2016 |
“Each time I’ve listened I’ve been completely overwhelmed. I’ve always loved Brahms’ symphonies, and am in the middle of one of my periodic phases of re-listening to many of the wonderful recordings which I’ve accumulated over the years. The Rowicki Fourth, though, is very special. It’s so beautifully conducted and played – and your recording enables the listener to hear wonderful performances from individual players within the lovely blend of their joint efforts. Above all, the experience is inexpressibly moving – almost unbearably so, in fact. At the end, I find myself forced to sit quietly for a few minutes, attempting to come to terms with the tragic beauty of this truly great performance and recording of a work which I’ve loved for many years. I want to thank you, Geoffrey, for enabling me to have this treasurable – and, thankfully, repeatable – experience.”
—Bill Abbie, Edinburgh, private correspondence, 22nd January 2016 “[S]upremo Geoffrey Terry’s recording set-up in 1967 is fully the equal of the other recordings he has released in this series of live performances. The proof of the pudding lies in the clarity with which he captures orchestral choirs but also in the inherent tonal and timbral warmth that are generated. The hall ambience never swamps the orchestra – microphones have been optimally sited – and yet it remains distinctive.” “The well-balanced piano ensures that Ekier’s contribution is rightly a concertante one [Szymanowski]. The performance is a mixture of bravura and warmth where the role played by the winds is optimum. Rowicki builds the energy-quotient via the strings with practised grip, the performance marrying splendid control with acutely perceptive phraseology.” “The booklet has been attractively designed and is a pleasure to peruse…” —Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, February 2016 “Some conductors play the Brahms Fourth for broad lyricism; Rowicki’s taut, austere approach, by contrast, treats each movement as an abstract structure requiring clear exposition. This generates considerable power, especially in the outer movements […] The orchestra responds marvelously…” “Geoffrey Terry’s remastering of his own original recording […] offers nicely focused bass and vividly realistic reproduction of soloists and instrumental choirs…” “Recommended as a document of the orchestra and conductor, and specifically for the Szymanowski.” —Stephen Vasta, MusicWeb International, July 2016 “The audience is well behaved. This presumably marks their completely understandable absorption in and appreciation of the performance. This is showcase-fast music-making … You won’t forget this.” “The booklet […] is well done with an introduction to each piece of music and unusual non-pro-forma profiles of Ekier, Rowicki and the orchestra. Especially interesting, and definitely worth having, is Mr Terry’s detail-rich memoir of the orchestra’s 1967 UK tour. It’s not often you get this sort of flavoursome detail of time and place and it is well done.” “A Huddersfield concert with no prisoners taken, vintage 1967 […] a fascinating record of a live event, sparks still flying.” —Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International, August 2016 “The Warsaw Philharmonic have always been one of the world’s exciting orchestras and in the 1960s they were very special indeed. Brahms is greatly enhanced by this level of passion and the performance is almost exhausting to hear. The audience would also have been excited by the Szymanowski Symphony Concertante before the interval. Pianist Jan Ekier was a prominent member of the musical elite in Poland and here he is caught at his very best, playing the complex solo piano part in this concertante work with massive power. I cannot believe it ever sounded better. The Prokofiev Classical Symphony is a gentler affair but still serves as a very fine overture to an A-star concert.” “[T]his disc compares well with what the established companies were achieving in the 1960s, and in [some respects] betters them. [Geoffrey Terry] gets a very good and very even spread of sound with a remarkable amount of detail. The dynamic range is as wide as tape technology allowed in those days … This is an impressive disc, worth anyone’s money, and I look forward to hearing more.” —Dave Billinge, MusicWeb International, February 2018 “It’s not just that the sound is almost beyond belief […] it’s that you managed to capture performances of white-hot intensity. The Brahms is scorching! And the Szymanowski is so good that it could easily stand as a reference version. An overwhelming listening experience, from beginning to end – and this means that congratulations are due to you once again. ‘Bravo!’ for a truly exceptional achievement.” —Sean O’Neill, American Midwest, private correspondence, June 2020 |