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This makes for a compelling musical sensation of an overly popular masterpiece. I’m surprised that the mixed strings don’t sound one bit scattered or disorganized. On the contrary they sound wholesomely coordinated and harmoniously unified. If you study the stage layout close enough, you’ll notice that the leaders of each section were strategically positioned so listeners won’t be thrown off their stage orientation. It sounds normal, just different.


The Trondheim Soloists play with splendid elegance in such synthesized unity and I as the listener in the very core of their musical interaction in such close proximity could swear that I’d never been so touched by the vitality and passion of music. The music becomes a completely unified body that encompasses the finest textures and tonal colors of the fullest range of string instruments. Best of all, it envelops the listener with such realism that I feel like being there with the musicians. That’s exactly Morten’s intention. He reminds us that music was meant to be enjoyed in just that fashion in the olden days when musicians mingled amongst the listeners.


The idea of putting performers on a stage leaving the audience at a distance was purely for the sake of attracting a larger audience and selling more tickets. So this is really an aural renaissance rather than revolution.


The stage layout for Carl Nielsen’s Suite Op.1 is the most conservative by Morten standards, with first violins front left and second violins front right, double bass in the far center, violas rear left and celli rear right. This is the hidden gem of string music, with the wit of modernity perhaps on a smaller scale than Britten’s Simple Symphony but still rivaling it.


In the short but solemnly touching Kunstnernes-baare Op.58 composed by Nielsen in memory of a young artist, Morten altered the stage layout to spotlight the expressive lower strings. The celli were moved up to the front right joining forces in the lament with the double bass.


Orthodox but with a creative twist is the layout for the orchestral string version of Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence. The original sextet (augmented here to eight players) forms the inner circle as the lead voices and rest of the string orchestral form an outer circle on 40cm riser platforms. The first violins and celli are seated at the front for the obvious reason: they had the most intricate dialogue.


Where are these recordings taking us? I won’t go as far as saying that stereo is misguided and surround sound the truth. It’s not a matter of right or wrong but personal preference. I am still listening to mostly stereo—although half the time with more than one pair of speakers—and the enjoyment never ceases. Even Morten is open-minded enough to debut his first vinyl of Souvenir (a 180g double album) which has received critical acclaim from loyalists. That stereo version is a down-mix of mainly the L & R tracks with a fine balance of LS & RS for texturing. The ambience was naturally preserved by the omni microphones. I am happy to testify that the stereo FLAC downloads deliver the colorful vibrancy of the Trondheim Soloists in a way every traditional audiophile would treasure.




If I may draw an analogy, stereo is a well-surveyed oil field with a reliable constant supply, surround sound is a vast untapped offshore oil field of potentially huge resources. In addition to 7.1, 5.1 and 2.0 layers, the to-be-released Souvenir Blu-ray will incorporate a special Auro-3D 9.1 height layer (tracks 1 to 5 were recorded with the inclusion of four height microphones added to the original 7.1 setup). Coincidentally in my DIY project of  last year I explored the possibility of adding ceiling speakers to my stereo system and adding height channels to my 5.2 surround system. As I reported back then, the reflective sound high above enhances the perception of a complete three-dimensional musical cocoon delivering an immersive yet natural sense of realism that is more emotionally involving.


In tapping the unknown, 2L is not alone. AIX Records also is bullish on adventurous surround sound and 3D video. Their 3D Blu-ray discs offer viewers the choice of where they want to be seated: audience mix takes you to the best seat on the main floor, stage mix takes you right onto the stage surrounded by the musicians.


So let’s leave it like this. Stereo has arrived. You can enjoy the fruitful results to the fullest extent your hifi gear permits. Surround sound keeps coming. Expect the unexpected.