Posted by Joseph Felton on January 06, 1999 at 21:51:53:
In Reply to: Steve Syeward posted by Johnny on January 06, 1999 at 03:50:15:
I bought his CD over the summer at ITEC. Steven has truly amazing technical
chops. My only complain about the recording is that there is a thuddy
quality to it. My suspicion is that this is a result of poor recording
techniques(perhaps the mike was shoved down his bell) rather than poor
playing. Also, the piano can be a little bright and over bearing. Oddly
enough, I find the recording more pleasing when I turn *up* the treble or
better yet.. when I listen to it on a cheap sub par stereo with small tinny
speakers.
Having said that.. let it be known that this CD is very much so worth owning.
It's a real treat to invite all your string playing friends over and watch
jaws hit the floor when you put in the third movement of the Mendelssohn
violin concerto.
Regarding horns.. according to the liner notes it is all done on his 5/4 Rudy
sans one piece on a 3/4 Rudy and one peice on a YFB822. Steven appears to be
very fond of the dark germanic sound concept.. something that we don't see
a lot of in most of todays professionals. Before I studied the liner notes
I had assumed that all the tracks were done on the same horn because his
sound was so consistent throughout.
Through the grapevine.. I've also been told that when Steve played with the
St. Louis orchestra he used to play on a Meinl Weston CC.