In the summer of 2001, AIX Records Founder and Chief Engineer Mark Waldrep, Ph.D. traveled to Bucharest, Romania with nine road cases of state-of-the art, high-resolution audio equipment to record the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. The intention was to capture first class performances of familiar classical repertoire using his unorthodox method of recording…that of using many stereo pairs of mics and high-definition recording equipment. This DVD-Audio/Video disc is among the releases from those recording sessions. The tracks were recorded live without an audience in the Atheneum in downtown Bucharest, Romania.

The selections on this disc are sort of “leftovers” from the other sessions that we did in Bucharest but couldn’t be included on the DVDs that were dedicated to that particular artist because of space. So we produced a sampler. There full orchestra pieces, chamber music selections and solo works. Check them out and then move on to the full products if you hear something you enjoy.

The Georges Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra is a truely wonderful ensemble and is the primary musical institution of Romania.

Founded in 1886, under the supervision of Eduard Wachman, the Romanian Philharmonic Society had as purpose the creation of a permanent symphonic orchestra in Bucharest. By December of the same year, its first concert took place.

Once that the palace of the Romanian Athenaeum was inaugurated on March 5, 1889, the concerts of the society started to take place in that location, as they do to this day.

Wachman, who conducted the first permanent orchestra until 1907, was followed by Dimitrie Dinicu (1868-1936), and himself was followed as the principal conductor starting from 1920, by George Georgescu (student of Arthur Nikisch and Richard Strauss).

During this time, the repertoaire of the orchestra was greatly enlarged, and the Philharmonic entered the international scene. Meanwhile, great musical personalities of the inter-war period, such as Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casals, Igor Stravinsky, Enrico Mainardi, Alfred Cortot, Maurice Ravel, Richard Strauss, Yehudi Menuhin or Herbert von Karajan, played in Bucharest with the orchestra.

After World War II, the institution diversed its activity by creating the Academic Choir, a strong nucleus of soloists (such as Maria Kardas Barna who was a permanent piano soloist until 1971), and several chamber ensembles. After the death of George Enescu in 1955, the Philharmonic was renamed George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in his honour. Likewise, the Orchestra is, by tradition, the first to play at the George Enescu Festival.

Through its existence, the Philharmonic had as principal conductors, personalities such as Constantin Silvestri, Mircea Basarab, Dumitru Capoianu, Ion Voicu, Mihai Brediceanu, Cristian Mandeal. Currently, the general director is Andrei Dimitriu, and the art director is Nicolae Licaret.

AIX Records’ standard DVD-Audio/Video have music on a single-sided DVD-Audio/Video disc, which is compatible with all DVD players. Customers wishing to hear the highest possible MLP presentation are required to have a DVD-Audio capable machine. The is no video of the recordings. The audio is available in DTS, DD, PCM [96/24 stereo] and MLP [DVD-Audio sector only].

The sound of this recording brings the musicians into your listening space. The HD-Audio surround mixes immerse you in the musical interplay with full range frequency response and dynamics.

Audio Samples:

1. Mozart – Overture to the Marriage of Figaro K. 492 –
   
2. Caian – Codex Cajoni Dances for Solo Harp –
   
3. Haydn – Minuet & Presto for Woodwind Quintet –
   
4. Mozart – Divertimento K. 270 for Woodwind Quintet –
   
5. Chopin – Etude for Solo Piano –
   
6. Ravel / Pavane for a Dead Princess for Large Orchestra –
   
7. Vivaldi – Sinfonia No.3 in G Major for String Orchestra –