Audio: Listen to this article.
Between December 2005 and December 2007 Bert van der Wolf used a prototype dCS analog to digital converter to capture Jos van Immerseel’s orchestra Anima Eterna Brugge, playing the Beethoven Symphonies and Ouvertures, in DXD (24 bit / 352.8 kHz) before there was even a name for Digital eXtreme Definition (DXD). Now, sixteen years after releasing this masterpiece on six stereo CDs, it’s available in full immersive high resolution, exactly as it was recorded, mixed, and mastered. According to van der Wolf, “To have them released now as Immersive High Res has been a 16 year dream of mine!”
Bert van der Wolf’s enthusiasm for this release is contagious. “The colors, textures and fantastic historical insight of this ensemble is simply breathtaking to me.” Said van der Wolf in our email exchange this week. Bert even suggested that I likely heard a 5.1 mix of this recording when I visited his studio in 2011. This recording of the Beethoven Symphonies and Ouvertures is one of those career defining works that Bert proudly demonstrates, and rightly so. When I saw the headline TRUE VINTAGE GEMS FROM THE PAST, I was intrigued. When I saw all six albums were available in Auro 3D and Discrete Immersive DXD, I absolutely had to download them without delay.
Before I dig into the specifics, here is another quote from Bert that captures his excitement, the moment, and what this release means to him and music lovers, perfectly.
“A truly inspiring time travel during the re-mastering process of these legendary performances!" These recordings were one of the first made in DXD after I adopted this format in 2005 (dCS prototype ADC's), still revolutionary in 2006 and most likely one of the first recordings fully processed in 352,8kS/s/24bit! I decided to have another go on the mix for the master files, now 16 years later with the progressive insight about and acquired tools over the years for this stunning high resolution. It was a pleasure to find the hidden gems within these tracks.
Bert van der Wolf-Oude Avenhuis 2023
I’ve never been more grateful for my unlimited 1 Gbps up/down fiber internet connection that I was last week. The six Beethoven immersive DXD albums are roughly 240 GB! Sure, Bert could’ve released these as 24/96 files or some multiple of 44.1, to save storage space and shorten the download time, but then we wouldn’t have the unadulterated DXD version as it was recorded. Plus, spending a little time upfront to download the albums, has lead to endless hours of sonic bliss on the backend.
A small detour and note about perspective.
I’m not a big classical music fan by any stretch of the imagination. There are some pieces of music that I really like, but I couldn’t name them if my life depended on it. I approach this write-up from the perspective of someone who has a new love of classical music because of what immersive reproduction does for the genre. It puts the listener in the concert hall! In addition, I spent Saturday evening at Orchestra Hall here in Minneapolis, watching Home Alone wile the Minnesota Orchestra played the John Williams score. It was a marvelous time, and gave me a nice baseline with which to evaluate the immersive Beethoven experience.
On with the show.
Prior to clicking play on one of these 5.1.4 ten channel albums, I Googled “5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Beethoven.” The New York Times “5 Minute” series offers a great crash course in what other people love about an artists, composers, or styles of music. I was unsure if there was a Beethoven article, but I searched with my fingers crossed. I was in luck. I found several Beethoven recommendations in the article (link). Among them Times’ writer David Allen’s pick, the “Coriolan” Overture.
Looking through the six DXD albums, I noticed track five on Volume 2 titled “Overture in c minor op.62 Coriolan.” This must be what he’s talking about, I said to myself. I queued it up in JRiver Media Center, adjusted the volume on my Merging Anibus, and let it rip.
Holy $#!+! I immediately felt like the Maxell guy from the ad campaign in the 1980s. I could feel the music, just like I had at Orchestra Hall a couple nights prior. I could hear the texture of the strings, the power of the horns, and the emotions oozing out of the players, as if this was happening right in my listening room. Bert van der Wolf’s new immersive mix is a thing of absolute beauty. He uses all the surround and height channels to give Anima Eterna Brugge a large presence and to place the listener right in the best seat in Concertgebouw Brugge in November 2006.
Coriolanus ebbs and flows into the next piece, Overture in f minor op.84 Egmont. Another stunningly beautiful piece of music, performed superbly, recorded impeccably, and reproduced the best way I know how. To say this listening experience is otherworldly, is an understatement. It’s also the type of experience that turns people such as myself into classical music lovers. Listening to Egmont slowly build, crash magically, and continue on a rollercoaster, with the decibel meter on my watch indicating peaks over 90 dB, is what makes this hobby so wonderful. I’m listening to this exact piece now as I type, and I have chills. Everyone should have this experience. I feel like I’m sitting in front of the orchestra, in the concert hall! Nothing is missing from this immersive presentation. It has texture, tone, and enough dynamic range to scare the neighbors. What more could a music lover want.
I’ve been a fan of Bert’s work since first meeting him in 2011. I own several of his recordings, offered for purchase and download through the Spirit of Turtle website. They are all great, but this one stands on its own as the pièce de résistance. The entire six album discrete immersive DXD collection of the Beethoven Symphonies and Ouvertures is so good that I’ve run out of superlatives, and it makes me wonder what else Bert has in his vault, because I want more of what he’s producing.
I’m willing to bet Bert had a smirk on his enthusiastic face as we exchanged emails last week. The kind of smirk that signals one knows what the other person is about to experience. Bert knew this would knock my audio socks off and it certainly did.
Those with immersive audio systems are encouraged to purchase and download immediately from The Spirit of Turtle website. Immense enjoyment will follow.
Complete Audio System Details with Measurements - https://audiophile.style/system
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now