Volume 3 Issue 10 - July/August 1998

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Ill Ill Ill Ill ill ill Iii 9 P'iHORAL Iii HAPPENINGS by Larry Beckwith As Toronto fans of choral music will see from the wholenote· concert listings, choral concerts will be difficu/J to come by in Toronto, this summer, with a few exceptions. I highly recommend making the trip out of town to visit some of Ontario 's summer music festivals. Cavatina From the Naxos Guitar Collection only .99 (suggested retail ptice) 8.554400C .. ~ ... E.rly ""''', Allr ""'" CODEX FAE,'I/Z,\ fot

UDIOFILE BY ROBERT HANSON • Small Ensembles and Soloists One of the most rewarding aspects of location recording, is working with small ensembles and soloists. Due to their uncomplicated performance setup requirements, more venues can be considered, both large and small, depending on the_ soun4 the soloist or ensemble IS . looking for. Also it is easier to -consider venues outside of the city, since ttansportati~n is relatively easy to orgamse. Country or small town venues often provide a more relaxed and productive ambience, plus avoiding ~uch of the city's traffic and n01se. The fall seems to be a popular time for small ensemble and soloist recording sessions. Maybe this is due to touring. and practise schedules, but 1t is also, by a happy coincidence, the best time of year from an en~ineer's perspective. Since it is not too hot or cold, the noise associated w!th heating and cooling systems IS avoided without discomfort to the muslcians, Also, birds aren't as frisky and noisy at this time of year as in the spring and summ':r, so their sound is not a maJor concern during recording. the air since the group is SOMMERVILLE small ~nd does not require the AT HUMBERCREST averaging which microphone As a former in-house engineer height provides for l~rger for Marquis Classics record groups. (Of course m label, 1 had th~ opportunity _to recording there are no .set work on many different sol01st rules, so if the sound is best and small ensemble recording with a high microphone, by all projects. . . . means go with what sounds . One of my favountes, good.) If certain instruments are Chamber Music for Horn - James Sommerville was not coming through on the recorded at Humbercrest recording, you may want to ' United Church (highlighted in adjust the location of t~e. Audio File in the February microphone or the mu~1c1an 1998 WholeNo.te) who is too loud or qu1et. · The recordmg features Caution should be exercised · James Sommerville - French if additional microphones are · Hom Rena Sharon - Piano used, so the soun?.remains and J~mes Mason- Oboe. The balanced. An additional performers sat relatively_ close microphone placed_ closet? a together with Somm:rv1lle to quiet instrument will certamly the front left of the p1ano and make it louder ~ut als~ makes Mason to the front right. it sound stark m rel~tlon to_ the Getting a proper balance was · other instru.men.ts. S~ce t~ls quite easy with minimal instrument IS still qu1eter m movement of the oboe and the hall it will not have as french hom in relation to the much reverberation on the recording. In cases where you piano which was open to full - are recording instruments which have quite different - natural dynamics, such as flute and guitar, a little clea~ . amplification of the qmet guitar into the hall may be a better solution. stick. The microphone was placed about 12 feet back from the performers to provide a relatively clean intimate sound with a pleasant proportion of reverberation from the church. At the time of the recording James Sommerville was Associate Principle Hom with The Montreal Symphony, -and is currently First Hom with The Boston Symphony. The recording continues to be a . popular seller for the Marqu1s label and is available at most record stores. If you prefer you can contact Marquis directly at 416-690-7662. Robert Hanson,. the owner and operator-of The A"'!io Group, . specio.lises in class1cal I ~~oustic. , location recording and d1g111Jl editing services. Please send comments or questions by fax to (905) 420-8421, or email to audiogrp@interlog.com Another pleasant thing about soloist and small ensemble recording, is that because of the small size of the groups there are few limitations on where they can set up in the - h~ll. So one can experiment . with a few different set.ups, till the musicians find a locationwhich allows them to hear and blend with each other while - interacting with the acoustics of the hall. . . Once the setup location IS found, it is typically best to let the musicians sit in a normal concert configuration. This allows the musicians to have familiar sight lines and to hear each other cleady. The producer and engineer should move around in the hall to determine where there is a good blend of balanc~ direct music and reverberation from the hall. It is not necessary to . raise the microphone high into ltAnf' .~~~~!:~0=.i':'e Contact Michael Duschenes or Chris Sharpe: ' 519-648-3324 • 1-888-258-7830 or e~ail: info@arts-interactive.com www.arts-interactive.com CONCERT LISTING SOURCE