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Eclipse, Vol. 1 - Spee

Eclipse, Vol. 1 - Spee

trptk  TTK0073

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Instrumental


Wölfl: Piano Sonata in C minor, Andante & Variations, Piano Sonata in B minor, Waltz in C minor
Spee: 3 Intermezzi

Mattias Spee (piano)


Mattias Spee (1997) studied with David Kuyken and Ralph van Raat, among others. He won several prizes, at the Prinses Christina Concours, the Steinway Piano Competition and the VriendenCultuurPrijs. Spee has a distinct preference for contemporary and lesser known repertoire. “I would like to bring hidden treasures from music history into the limelight,” says the pianist.

For the adventurous Dutch TRPTK label he has started a series with – unjustly – forgotten composers under the motto ‘Eclipse’. The first part is dedicated to the Austrian Joseph Wölfl (1773-1812), a contemporary and rival of Beethoven. He left behind a considerable body of work including symphonies, string quartets, operas, and the requisite piano concertos and sonatas.

Wölfl was particularly tall in stature, equipped with large hands and a virtuoso pur sang: with ease he could span thirteen keys. His music has a strong and penetrating character. While the often gruff Beethoven performed mainly for the old elite, the friendly Wölfl appealed to a much wider audience. Wölfl was an eminent improviser and he was also extremely popular as a teacher. He traveled extensively throughout Europe and could be found not only in concert halls but also regularly at the gaming tables.

Colorful is the ‘Sonata in C minor’ with which the album opens. The ‘Fugue’ in particular continues to resonate for minutes. The ‘9 Variations on an Andante’ is evidence of great musical imagination. The ‘Sonata in B minor’ is compelling and the ‘Waltz in C minor’ forms a beautiful conclusion.

For Mattias Spee the start of his ‘Eclipse’ series for TRPTK is “a dream come true, the start of a great journey. I stand squarely behind my debut and find myself aligned with the views of Brendon Heinst, a recording engineer driven by passion and enthusiasm, just like me. I hope that this lesser-known repertoire by Joseph Wölfl will introduce a new audience to classical music, a fascinating world with which far too few are familiar. In short, I wish that many will enjoy this particularly beautiful music.”

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Review by Adrian Quanjer - July 7, 2021

A young, hardly known pianist playing a hardly known composer. Probably a hit for some but open to question for most. However, people familiar with the label will know that TRPTK takes quality seriously, both in terms of musicians and recording, and does not go for the obvious to bolster its sales. They cater to a niche market, the market of discerned music lovers with an open mind, going for quality rather than quantity. Mathias Spee and Joseph Wölfl fit the bill.

I must admit that I, too, belonged to the group of ‘open to question’, never having heard of any of them before. I say ‘belonged’ in the past tense because when I listened to this new release, it was a direct hit. I won’t go as far as to claim that we have here an undiscovered Beethoven, but I do agree with Mattias Spee’s remarks that it is a pity that Big Names overshadow many talented contemporaries and that concertgoers prefer known territory, no doubt the main reason for these talents to fall into oblivion. On the other hand, though, we have so often been presented with spectacular ‘discoveries’ of small fish that we have become suspicious.

Wölfl was a pianist of renown and probably a better one than Beethoven. An article in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Leipzig, April 1799) discusses opinions about both. Wölfl was judged to be the best because more precise; though Beethoven was the better improviser. Being a concert pianist and piano teacher, Wölfl's oeuvre for piano takes examples from Haydn, Mozart, although in my view mostly Beethoven, and even Bach(!) as can be heard in the Fuga of the Sonata in C minor. Indeed, not an innovator, be it that in some ways he sounds like a precursor to Schubert’s romantic idiom. Taken at face value we cannot but conclude that he was a highly accomplished composer all the same.

Apart from two of the three sonatas Op. 28, Spee has added some smaller pieces (variations, waltz) thus creating an overall picture of the composer’s piano style, and, surprisingly, some of his own ‘in the style of’, which I think could be Schubert (Intermezzo I), Haydn (Intermezzo II) and Brahms (Intermezzo III). Anyhow, it is quite obvious to any listener that we have here someone eager to win audiences over to Wölfl’s piano legacy. Spee’s judicious and stylish elegance, yet intensely effective playing will not fail to conquer the hearts of even the most vigorous doubter. Yes! This is wonderful stuff!

If you want to know more about Wölfl, no need to search the internet. Thijs Bonger, the author of the liner notes, has done all the work for you. Pleasant reading, too.

All I can say is that Mattias Spee has opened a treasure trove with this first volume in the TRPTK Eclipse series “of unjustly forgotten composers”. I do not know what is to follow, but in the meantime whet your appetite with this one, you won’t be disappointed.

Brendon Heinst guarantees the best possible sound (recorded in DXD 352.8 kHz 32 bits).

Blangy le château, Normandy, France.

Copyright © 2021 Adrian Quanjer and HRAudio.net

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Comment by Marcus DiBenedetto - August 2, 2021 (1 of 4)

I'd like to add a couple of comments to Adrian's review.

The music: The selections are wonderful. My highest compliment is that I can see myself listening to this album in the evening with a glass of red wine to relax. It is melodic but won't put you to sleep. Instead, you'll want to savor every part of the melodies and the accomplished playing.

The sonics: I thought the piano sounded fantastic on my system. Native DSD offers all the usual bit & sample rates except the original 32 bit/352.8. For that, go to the TRPTK's website to download. It is a WAV file (the only container that can hold it). Make sure your DAC can handle it. I did not conduct any A/B comparisons among the various sample rates. All I can say is that the piano sounded absolutely wonderful. For me, this is a five star performance with excellent sound, no echo, reverberations, or messy reflections.

Yes, it is also available on Qobuz in stereo.

Marcus DiBenedetto
Las Vegas, NV

Comment by Marcus DiBenedetto - January 4, 2023 (2 of 4)

Brendon Heinst, founder of TRPTK, posted on his blog, October 2022, a fascinating article: “Lower Resolution, Better Sound Quality?” (URL: https://trptk.com/lower-resolution-better-sound-quality/). After a considerable amount of testing he’s revamped his recording/mastering/rendering process to produce an even better sound quality. Read the blog. Hopefully the new process will result in improved sound quality for us consumers.

The new process will be used for “Eclipse”, Volume 2, slated for release in April 2023. Brendon tells me that the new release will include a concerto with the South Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.

Cliff notes: “As it stands, our production chain looks like this: we first record every project in DSD256, because that’s the resolution our analogue-to-digital-converters run best on. We then convert all these DSD256 files we just recorded to PCM 352.8kHz 64bit floating point, to be able to work in a format that’s as close to sonically transparent as absolutely possible. …In almost all cases, we recommend (downloading) the 352.8kHz 24bit FLAC file. It’s relatively compact, and since it’s mastered at 64bit and then converted using Saracon the sound quality is utterly amazing.” I prefer downloading DXD 352.8/24 files anyway so good news for me.

He just added a new blog post discussing the future of TRPTK, which will continue to include physical SACDs.

Comment by Marcus DiBenedetto - April 28, 2023 (3 of 4)

Eclipse Vol. 2 is scheduled for release, both SACD and Download, May 12,2023. In my situation, Brendon recommended the 352.8/32 resolution. He's very responsive to email. I'm looking forward to it. All the specs and recording notes are here: https://trptk.com/shop/downloads/eclipse-vol-2-hans-henkemans/. More after release.

Marcus

Comment by Marcus DiBenedetto - May 14, 2023 (4 of 4)

Vol. 2 is released (SACD and Download). I've listened to it a few times now. Loved it! Will post more once it is on the list of new music.