A fun seasonal confection—Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" is played solo on a 5 1/2 octave celesta. This little gem will stress test your audio system's capabilities, and put a smile on your face if your system is up to playing it.
Tchaikovsky, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Celia Garcia-Garcia. EP (DXD, TRPTK) HERE
This under two minutes EP is a delicate little treat showing up for the holiday season. But appearances are deceiving! This short piece will work the dickens out of your audio system with its huge dynamic range, extended airy high frequencies, and complex overtone structures. A fun piece, but also an audio system demonstration recording par excellence.
Everyone certainly knows this music from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet, and I'm sure we all know the prominent role the celesta plays in this piece as part of the orchestra. In this recording, the celesta plays solo without orchestra and holds the full spotlight of our attention.
Celia García-García plays a Schiedmayer 5 ½ Octave Model celesta (66 keys) provided by Schiedmayer Celesta GmbH for the recording. The manufacturer says, "This exceptional celesta instrument was developed by Schiedmayer especially for the large concert halls and opera houses of the world. Due to its large-scale resonators, wide and heavy sound plates arranged uniquely side by side (juxtaposed), this model is unparalleled in volume and carries even the most delicate and quiet sounds to the very back corners of any concert hall."
Stock Photo of the 5 1/2 octave celesta similar to the instrument in this recording, courtesy of the Schiedmayer Celesta GmbH website.
Photo courtesy of Celia García-García's website
Celia García-García regularly performs piano and celesta in orchestras such as Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Nederlands Kamerorkest, Dutch Ballet Orchestra and others.
And Brendon Heinst, founder and chief recording engineer for TRPTK, captures the full dynamic range, frequency extension, and delicate tonal shadings of this instrument in another superbly engineered recording. Recorded at Galaxy Studios in Mol, Belgium, the natural acoustic of the large recording studio space is readily apparent in the open reverberant sound of the recording. As I said at the outset, this recording will stress test your system. Enjoy!
Recording Session Photos, courtesy TRPTK
