Robert Silverman - Chopin's Last Waltz

Editor's Pick - Recording of the Month for February 2018 Stereophile!  Click here to read the article.

Honored pianist Robert Silverman delivers warmth and technical prowess in a flawless performance!

Audio pioneer/engineer Ray Kimber and engineer Aaron Hubbard record at DSD256 without compression or equalization

LP lacquers cut directly from DSD256 file by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio

Plated and pressed on 180-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings

Old-style tip-on gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing

Acoustic Sounds is the exclusive distributor for this release!

"Silverman's playing in the Op. 52 Ballade is as commanding and insightful as it gets. ... (his) detailed and engaging liner-notes are a welcome bonus. ... as someone who listens to a great deal of high-res music - PCM and DSD - I'd say this is one of the most lifelike piano recordings I've ever heard. ... Pure pleasure; the spirit of Sheffield Lab lives on!" — Dan Moran, Musicweb International. Read the whole review here.

"Silverman's Chopin is an unqualified success. Although every composition presented here is a familiar selection from Chopin's oeuvre, Silverman's conceptions of them delve deeply into the composer's inherent passions for his music and his love of melody. ... the recording presents a beautiful multidimensional sound image, with a wide dynamic range and gorgeously sharp, true tone colors." — Performance = 5/5; Sonics 5/5 — Robert Baird, Stereophile, February 2018. Editor's Pick – Recording of the Month

"Over the years I have been fortunate enough to make several high-end audio recordings, including (now) three on vinyl. I gladly sign my name to all of them, but I must say that sonically and artistically, this is my favorite. I have always striven for a combination of clarity and warmth in my playing, but all too frequently the end result ends up emphasizing one over the other. This time, the balance has been achieved as well as I could possibly imagine." — Robert Silverman

"This is a work of art and talent both from the artist and the technical team of Aaron Hubbard, Ray Kimber, Charles Francis, Kevin Gray and Chad Kassem. The producer Ellen Silverman also played an important role in this magnificent production, I would say that she acted like the conductor who has the perfect feel of the emotions in play ... great work ! - The net result is simply ... Pure Music ... with no artifact ! — Jacques Riendeau, co-owner, Oracle Audio Technologies

"You wanted to know if an LP cut directly from a DSD256 Master (Quad DSD, which is 4 times SACD resolution) outputting directly to the cutting lathe by a top mastering engineer would replicate a master tape recorded at 15 IPS? I can now emphatically and authoritatively state that it does. ... I heard nothing even remotely digital in the playback of this new LP from Ray Kimber. ... The QRP pressing is tuneful to the max and quiet as the proverbial mouse. Chad Kassem has pulled out all the stops to press this perfect LP. Just wait until you hear Ballade No. 4 explode in charm and power." — Robert H. Levi, Positive-Feedback Online, Oct. 13, 2017 Read the entire review here.

Pianist Robert Silverman has, in his five-decade career, been hailed for masterful performances in prestigious halls across the globe. His newest LP, The Last Waltz, comes from Chopin's final period of 1841-1849. The seven compositions featured here are beyond gorgeous and difficult.

Silverman proves he can emotionally and technically master even the Fantaisie in F minor, "an elegant yet mind-blowing exercise in beauty redefined in music," writes reviewer Robert Levi for Positive-Feedback Online. Other pieces include Nocturne in E major - a fine example of the refinement and contrapuntal richness of Chopin's later works. The brooding Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 45, composed in 1841, was dedicated to Princess E. Czernicheff (Elisaweta Tschernyschewa), and employs one of Chopin's favorite devices: a rolling bass accompaniment sweeping upward until it takes over the next phase of the melody.

Silverman musical and technical authority are on full display here. Recognized as one of Canada's premiere pianists, he demonstrates a polished technique, an extraordinary range of tonal palette, an uncanny ability to sing his way into the heart of a phrase, and probing interpretations of the most complex works in the repertoire. Silverman has performed in concert halls throughout North America, Europe, the Far East and Australia, under the batons of such renowned conductors as Seiji Ozawa, John Eliot Gardiner, Gerard Schwarz, and more. His discography includes more than 30 CDs and a dozen LPs.

Acoustic Sounds is proud to be the exclusive distributor for this stellar LP on the IsoMike label. Recording engineers Ray Kimber and Aaron Hubbard achieve truly lifelike presence, recording at DSD256 (Quad DSD - 4x SACD resolution), and editing in that format without any compression or equalization other than application of the RIAA curve. The esteemed Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio handled mastering and cut the lacquers. Plating and pressing on 180-gram super silent vinyl was done by Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs!

"Suddenly, this felt exhilarating and dangerous! I can't think of any decision made that compromised the goal. I love the result." - Ray Kimber