La Trompette Retrouvee - Jonathan Freeman-Attwood - High Fidelity

‘La Trompette Retrouvée' includes French chamber music recordings, from Rameau to Fauré, with trumpet. They were ‘discovered' again with fresh arrangements as the trumpet accompanies the piano. It is the second record in a series of trumpet playing recordings presented in a novel way. The third one is planned in 2008 and it also will include music from 17^th Century.

It is a brilliant record. The music and the performances are excellent (however, modern technological play doesn't have to be liked by everyone). The sound quality is fantastic! I have to tell again- it is a fantastic record! There are just two instruments - trumpet and piano, but it sounds like a chamber orchestra. The trumpet plays with strong dynamic and gentle way of legato. This gives a fantastic effect in the sound. Both instruments have got a lot of air around them but they aren't blurred, which often occurs in the multi-channel recordings. Between the listener and the audience is quite a distance like in a real concert, and we are sitting near to the trumpeter. Therefore, in reality we turn down and up, because we want to find the natural level of sound.

However, we are enjoying the music and we just relax, and then the strong entry of the trumpet might punch us to the wall. Piano also is recorded from the long distance. However, we might feel that the piano plays the second role, because it plays less dynamic, in the ‘'safe'' way. To the perfect play of the record you have to have a system with very good resolution and dynamic. Like always with LINN, HDCD is amazing.

Quality of sound: 10/10

(Translated)