Title: Fabulous piece, recording not perfect
Review: The Concord Sonata is the beginning and end of all piano music. It stands apart, almost a genre in itself. So I heartily recommend this piece. Listen to it again and again. It may sound like chaos at first (and it is, because it's Ives!), but it's glorious chaos, and the material is actually quite unified.Now: this recording leaves something to be desired. First of all the acoustic is a little distant to my ears, as if the mikes were not placed close enough to the soundboard. Of course this is how it sounds in a hall, but I don't think this sound works for a recording, especially of piano. Piano is a strange instrument that doesn't record well. Anyway, the distant sound is forgiveable, but there is some serious distortion in the second half (or so) of the recording, which I find annoying.If you can get this for a few bucks, it's not bad, but the distortion is distracting.But the playing is quite good. Sadly, the engineer didn't set the levels properly.
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