On the album Obsession, Dutch violinist Niek Baar returns to the pieces that inspired him to become a violinist. Together with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra and Concertmaster Michael Waterman, he recorded wonderfully romantic, well-known and exuberant repertoire, including Ravel’s Tzigane, Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir d’un lieu cher and Tartini’s Il Trillo del Diavolo.
The connection between the musicians is palpable. Niek says that “The Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra played every moment as if we were playing the most intimate chamber music repertoire, and that inspired me to take risks, to go outside of my comfort zone, and perform as a whole with each other.”
Niek plays a magnificent and rare violin made in Cremona in 1729 by Carlo Bergonzi. On this recording produced by Jared Sacks, you hear the ‘core’ of the instrument, including all of the gritty elements that accompany the sweet, soprano tones that the violin is most famous for.
Niek Baar, Violin
Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra
Michael Waterman, Concertmaster
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 01:02:37
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | 44822 |
| Qualities | DSD 512 fs, DSD 256 fs, DSD 128 fs, DSD 64 fs, DXD 24 Bit, FLAC 192 kHz, FLAC 96 kHz |
| Channels | 2ch Stereo, 5 Channel Surround Sound, 2ch Stereo & 5ch Surround |
| Artists | Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Michael Waterman, Niek Baar |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Analog to Digital Converter | Horus, Merging Technologies at DSD 256 |
| Cables | Van den Hul, 3T – exclusive use of Van den Hul 3T cables |
| Mastering Engineer | Jared Sacks |
| Microphones | Brüel & Kjær 4006, Schoeps |
| Instruments | |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Pre Amps | Rens Heijnis, Custom Design |
| Producer | Jared Sacks |
| Recording Engineer | Jared Sacks |
| Recording Location | MCO Hilversum, The Netherlands in January 2022 |
| Release Date | August 19, 2022 |
Press reviews
NativeDSD Blog | HRAudio
… Baar demonstrates that he is worth every inch of his violin. A valuable instrument can and will only shine in the hands of someone who has a love affair with it. Right from the start (Kreisler: Praeludium and Allegro) it becomes clear that Niek is able to draw a sweet, silken tone from his soul mate that continues in Dvořák’s Romance in F minor and the following two movements of Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir d’un lieu cher, as arranged by Alexandru Lascae. …
HIFI Critic
Recorded and engineered by label founder, and head of Native DSD, Jared Sacks, again at the MCO in Hilversum, he plays a programme from composers including Dvorák, Ravel, Tartini and Tchaikovsky, and while Sacks allows the group of musicians plenty of space to breathe, he also provides a wonderfully focused view of the solo instrument. That means we hear not only its sweetness and fluidity in the hands of an accomplished performer, but also its occasional bite and grit – it’s wonderfully characterful stuff.
1 review for Obsession
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A lovely album, beautifully played and excellently recorded, as ever, on the Channel Classics label.
Michael Wadge (verified owner) –