AUDIOphile 1/2014 - CD "PIANO HIGHLIGHTS"

AUDIOphile 1/2014

That is as audiophile as it can get!

Since the mid-1990s, Martin Vatter has been pounding away at his Steinway grand piano. By playing a number of excellent EP’s and records inspired by Keith Jarrett, he has built up a loyal fan base ever since. Now the pianist from the Bavarian village of Etting has summed up his oeuvre in the shape of this 24 carat Gold edition for which he formed an audiophile dream team with Jürgen Reis, the chief developer of the high end company MBL. Reis, a sound engineer by profession, consistently mastered Vatter’s most beautiful contemplative yet rhythmic pieces without any limiters and compressors. Without any exception, Reis could even fall back on earlier exquisite Vatter recordings, as the original recordings had already been made with the best ingredients (Neumann tube microphones) and a competent staff (Christian Willisohn, who had worked at Stockfisch Recordings before or Carlos Albrecht from the sound studio Bauer in Ludwigsburg). All of which can be heard. A dynamic range of 13 (DR 13) speaks volumes in this genre. That is as audiophile as it can get!