The Burning Question

So, how does it sound?

The short answer is, “quite good for a home studio.” But in keeping with aphorisms about puddings and proofs, I've put together a comparison track which pairs several of my own recordings with professional recordings of the same pieces. Although interpretation also differs, which colors the comparison quite a lot, the set does do a good job of demonstrating the strong and weak points of the sound.

I've adjusted volumes to bring each excerpt pair to about the same level. Otherwise, all the excerpts from the professional recordings are unprocessed.

These are, by the way, all recordings I like and recommend.

Listen to comparison (7:32 / 10.4 M)

0:00	Brahms Intermezzo 116.4	DG 447446 (Gilels, 1976)
0:20		In the Hands
0:41	Chopin Nocturne 15.3	Arabesque Z6653 (Ohlsson, 1995)
1:17		In the Hands
2:12	Chopin Fantasy (1)	DG 423090 (Zimerman, 1988)
2:51		In the Hands
3:25	Chopin Fantasy (2)	DG 423090 (Zimerman, 1988)
3:49		In the Hands
4:15	Chopin Nocturne 55.1	Denon CO-18074 (Mejoueva, 1998)
4:54		In the Hands
5:37	Chopin Etude 25.1	Chandos 8482 (Lortie, 1986)
5:50		In the Hands
6:07	Brahms Ballade 10.4	London 455247 (Katchen, 196?)
6:30		In the Hands

Personally I'm quite pleased with the results, but listen and decide for yourself. I'm curious what you think — and I'm especially curious about the home piano studio experiences of others.

I made this guide freely available in the hopes that it will help others. If you've found this information useful, please consider making a donation or purchasing one of my albums:

The Broken Mirror of Memory

The River Inside of Trees