Channel Classics gives fantastic performances in near-perfect SACD 5.0 DSD multi-channel sound (any questions about what that means?). I say “near-perfect” because there’s a touch more weight given to the rear speakers than seems to be the norm for this label, and while it didn’t bother me a bit, I can imagine some listeners being disconcerted by the slight impression of an audio image that spreads around you as volume increases. That said, you won’t find purer and more naturally focused string sonority anywhere. The dynamic range is huge: the finale of the Tchaikovsky grows in richness and intensity until the second subject soars to exhilarating effect. On the other hand, the gossamer pianissimos of Verdi’s Prestissimo third movement have amazing presence and still convey a real room ambiance.
As noted above, the recording’s sonic allure complements performances of great spirit as well as precision. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta under Candida Thompson offers plenty of chamber music exactness in the quicker movements. As Tchaikovsky directs, the ensemble launches Souvenir de Florence “con spirito”, and rhythmically these players can turn on a dime as easily as any quartet (or in this case, sextet). The final fugue of Verdi’s quartet similarly loses none of its lightness or humor in this larger arrangement. But the players still find plenty of broadly Romantic warmth in Tchaikovsky’s Adagio cantabile, and there’s never a sense that the generously scaled dynamics and punchy accents are anything but the result of superior ensemble work.
