TAS Recommended! Rated a 'Best Audiophile Label Recording' in the November 2009 issue of The Absolute Sound!
A pure DSD recording from Sonoma Records. Produced by 12-time Grammy award winner Steven Epstein and engineered by Richard King, Music for Organ, Brass and Timpani was recorded and post-produced entirely in the DSD domain on a Sonoma Workstation.
"For the recording venue, I knew I wanted to use the sanctuary of St. Ignatius Loyola which houses the grand N.P. Mander Organ, the largest mechanical pipe organ in New York City. The acoustics are perfectly suited for this repertoire. For organist, the clear choice was Anthony Newman, the internationally celebrated artist, who has made many critically acclaimed recordings for CBS Masterworks/Sony Classical. For brass, we were most fortunate to have the Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble which is comprised of some of the finest brass players in the world, led by virtuoso trumpeter, Graham Ashton. On this record, Graham's ensemble was joined by timpanist Duncan Patton." - Steven Epstein, producer
"This record is a great example of what the Sonoma Workstation and the SACD format can deliver," said David Kawakami, Director of the Super Audio CD Project at Sony Corporation of America
"This recording was produced by Steven Epstein, a 12-time Grammy winner, and engineered by Richard King, a cool edition of the hot-rod recording guy. Keeping watch over it: David Kawakami, director of the Super Audio CD Project for Sony Corporation of America. The music on the disc is a series of arrangements for the aforementioned instruments [organ, brass and timpani], cleverly arranged by Graham Ashton, who heads his epononymous Brass Ensemble. The music ranges from a knockout of a piece by Richard Strauss, to Bach, Rachmaninoff, and even the "Great Gate of Kiev" from Pictures at an Exhibition. The organist is Anthony Newman and the timpanist Duncan Patton. ...I can tell you that this really is going to be a "super" disc sonically... every bit impressive are it's musical values. The Ashton ensemble is sensational... just wait until you hear the lowest notes on the Strauss, or the brass seated (on some cuts) in a semi-circle stretching out into your listening room" - Harry Pearson, The Absolute Sound, February/March 2005
"This magnificent recording offers a remarkably accurate aural impression of the sound of music in a New York City Church. The playing is professional and the arrangements of Strauss and Rachmaninoff are fascinating (more so that the familiar Bach, Handel, and Gabriel), but the major interest is in the outstandingly rich and potent sound." - Kalman Rubinson, Stereophile May 2005, page 52
Features:
• Super Audio CD
• SACD Multi-Channel SACD Layer
• SACD Stereo SACD Layer
• This Hybrid SACD contains a 'Red Book' Stereo CD Layer which is playable on most conventional CD Players!
Musicians:
Anthony Newman, organ
The Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble
Duncan Patton, timpani
Selections:
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
1. Feierlicher Einzug der Ritter des Johanniter-Ordens
George Frederick Handel (1685-1759)
2. Overture from Music for the Royal Fireworks
Giovanni Gabrielli (1554-1612)
3. Canzon Noni Toni a 12
4. Canzon XV
5. Canzon XVI
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
6. Kantate BWV 29
7. Kantate am Michealisfeste BWV 19
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
8. The Theotokos, Ever-Vigilant in Prayer
Johann Sebastian Bach
9. Kantate BWV 34 am Pfingstfest
10. Kantate BWV 214
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
11. Toccata from 'Orfeo'
Modeste Mussorgsky (1839-1881)
12. The Great Gate from Pictures at an Exhibition
Recorded June 14-16, 2004 at St. Ignatius Loyola Church, New York
