Octave Records’ latest release, Love in the Moonlight: Operatic Fantasies for Violin and Piano by Susan Paik and Teddy Niedermaier, offers unique interpretations of beloved opera favorites, adapted for violin and piano duet. Beautifully recorded in high-resolution Pure DSD, the album presents selections from Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème and Turandot and Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier in warmly inviting sound.
These three operatic fantasies were composed by Teddy Niedermaier from 2022 to 2024 as, he noted, “a way to bring this beloved music from the grandeur of the opera stage to the more intimate and accessible setting of the chamber hall. As violin and piano duos, the fantasies retell the operas from a unique and different perspective, covering all of the key characters, musical themes, moods, and dramatic events in a continuous narrative.” In adapting the vocal-centric operatic style, he pointed out: “among orchestral instruments, the violin is uniquely suited to express music originally written for the human voice. These operatic fantasies are intended to delight all listeners, regardless of familiarity with the opera repertoire.”
The album was recorded using Octave Records’ custom-built Pyramix-based 32-channel DSD 256 setup, with the piano and violin miked with Gefell large-capsule condenser microphones to capture the presence, nuance and wide dynamic shadings of the piano and the sweetness, detail and tonal extension and “air” of the violin. The Steinway grand piano and Paik’s violin are conveyed with extraordinary realism. Love in the Moonlight: Operatic Fantasies for Violin and Piano was recorded and mixed by Paul McGowan, who also produced the album along with Teddy Niedermaier, Susan Paik and Jessica Carson, with Terri McGowan assisting. It was mastered by Gus Skinas.
Susan Paik and Teddy Niedermaier. Courtesy of the artists.
The opening suite from La Bohème leads off the album in captivating fashion. The interplay between Niedermaier and Paik is sympathetic, with both musicians closely attuned to each other in subtle shadings of dynamics, tempo and expressiveness. The tonal beauty of the piano is faithfully captured, as is the purity and upper-midrange and treble complexity of Paik’s instrument. The violin soars into its upper register yet remains full-bodied and detailed, and never harsh.
The second selection, from Rossini’s Turandot, begins with a lively interplay between piano and violin that continues throughout the varied moods and musical textures of the piece. Der Rosenkavalier (The Rosebearer) captures the lighthearted mood of Strauss’ original, while showcasing the virtuosity and musical depth of both players. Love in the Moonlight: Operatic Fantasies for Violin and Piano is a delightful take on these timeless favorites – this is music-making and classical music recording at its most beautiful.
Love in the Moonlight: Operatic Fantasies for Violin and Piano features Octave’s premium gold disc formulation, and the disc is playable on any SACD, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player. It also has a high-resolution DSD layer that is accessible by using any SACD player or a PS Audio SACD transport. In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download, including DSD 512, DSD 256, DSD 128, DSD 64, and DSDDirect Mastered 352.8 kHz/24-bit, 176.2 kHz/24-bit, 88.2 kHz/24-bit, and 44.1 kHz/24-bit PCM. (SRP: $29.)
