Stuttgarter Kammerorchester – Die Rohre / The Tube (2003) SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

“The Tube is a collection of excellently played baroque music using Tubes though out the entire recording process. On the back of the SACD it says “No conductor – no semiconductor – I beg your pardon.” The players on this SACD are the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and they have no conductor. The booklet explains how semiconductors were avoided in making this SACD. From the 2 Neumann M49 valve microphones, the tubed mixer, to the restored tubed Telefunken M5 2 channel Stereo Reel to Reel, to the editing by hand up to the DSD converter which does use semiconductors. However the booklet says “… in the course of being converted the signal does not pass through any transistors, but rather adjoins them and is measured: The transistors cannot ‘pass on’ any of their properties to it’s sound. So we can rightly claim that for the music recorded here no transistor effected the sound in any way all at.
This 2 channel SACD has the most gorgeous sounding strings I have ever heard in any format, the sound and music are utterly beautiful. This is not a sampler but complete works by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. I especially love the first selection “La Musica Notturna della strade di Madrid” by Boccherini it is not only beautiful but exciting too, a major discovery for me. Also other gems by Sammartini, Avison, Scarlatti, Handel, Vivaldi, Biber and Corelli.”

“The lengths to which TACET have gone to secure an all-valve (tube) recording chain for this disc might seem perverse to some, but I think that the sound quality that they have achieved is a complete vindication of their unusual approach. The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, under their founder Karl Munchinger, were of course one of the stars of the Decca repertoire during the “Golden Age” of valve mastered recordings in the late Fifties and early Sixties, and this disc has the wonderfully warm string tone of the renowned SXL series LPs from that era. Of course, cynics (or diehard vinyl revivalists) might question the virtues of the latest digital techniques if all they do is take you back to the sound of 40 years ago, but you only have to listen to the dynamics and, of course, blissful silence during the quiet passages, to realise what benefits SACD can offer over its vinyl predecessor. The music is very appealing throughout – the Handel and Corelli are worth the admission price alone, and the other pieces are never less than interesting, particularly the Biber which was totally unfamiliar to me. The performances, to my admittedly inexpert ear, are impeccable, and very lively throughout. All this, and you get a joke too: “No conductor, no semiconductor…..” – who says the Germans have no sense of humour?” ~sa-cd.net

Tracklist:

1. La Musica Notturna delle strade di Madrid – 10:09
2. G.B. Sammartini – Sinfonia F-Dur JC 35: Allegro – 3:06
3. G.B. Sammartini – Sinfonia F-Dur JC 35: Andante – 3:09
4. G.B. Sammartini – Sinfonia F-Dur JC 35: Allegro – 1:09
5. Ch. Avison – Concerto XII: Grave. Tempo giato – Largo – 2:23
6. Ch. Avison – Concerto XII: Allegro spirituoso – 3:38
7. Ch. Avison – Concerto XII: Lentemente – 4:25
8. Ch. Avison – Concerto XII: Tempore giato – Allegro – 4:05
9. G.F. Handel – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 2 F-Dur: Andante larghetto – 4:35
10. G.F. Handel – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 2 F-Dur: Allegro – 2:27
11. G.F. Handel – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 2 F-Dur: Largo – 2:54
12. G.F. Handel – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 2 F-Dur: Allegro, ma non troppo – 1:58
13. A. Vivaldi – Concerto alla Rustica G-Dur: Presto – 1:05
14. A. Vivaldi – Concerto alla Rustica G-Dur: Adagio – 0:59
15. A. Vivaldi – Concerto alla Rustica G-Dur: Allegro – 1:39
16. H.I.F. Biber – Battalia a 10 – 8:19
17. Arc. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Vivacae – Allegro – Adagio – 2:27
18. Arc. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Allegro – 1:57
19. Arc. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Andante largo – 1:59
20. Arc. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Allegro – 0:59
21. Arc. Corelli – Concerto grosso op. 6 Nr. 7 D-Dur: Vivacae – 1:09