Violin Like You've Never Heard It Before!

Did they capture the sound of her violin? Did the nuance of a 9' Steinway grand piano translate onto the disc with all of its dynamic range intact? Hear for yourself when Ida Levin and Delores Stevens mark the debut of Stereophile's latest recording, Duet, with two live performances at HI-FI '98.

For Duet, internationally renowned violinist Ida Levin has chosen three works, by composers Janßcek, Schulhoff, and Enescu, created in Eastern Europe between the two World Wars---a "ceaselessly fascinating" period when "composers flourished with particular expressiveness, moved in part by the devastation in so many societies."

The new recording, made at the St. Francis Auditorium of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Loretto Chapel, both in Santa Fe, New Mexico, was engineered by Stereophile Editor John Atkinson and features 24-bit resolution. JA took great care in using microphone placment and recording electronics to re-create a faithful balance between realistic soundstaging and accurate instrument sound.

The end result? "A low end that is positively Stygian!" says JA. No compression was used in the production of Duet: "The dynamic range is therefore extreme, from the softest whispering of Ida's violin at the end of the Janßcek sonata to Diane Walsh's thunderous hammering of the Steinway at the climax of the Enescu sonata."

Last year, Stereophile marked the release of the Rhapsody recording with live performances at HI-FI '97 from pianist Hyperion Knight to enthusiastic audiences. This year's event will surely be a highlight at HI-FI '98 that music lovers will not want to miss.

Two performances will take place: Friday, June 12th at 1:30pm and Sunday, June 14th at 12:20pm. More information about these and other events is available at the HI-FI '98 website.

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