Hilary Hahn – Eugène Ysaye: Six Sonatas for Violin Solo op. 27 (UHQCD)

The Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931), considered one of the first modern violinists, set new technical and artistic standards and had works composed „on the body” by greats such as Franck, Debussy and Chausson. But in his last decade, he increasingly wrote for himself; including the six sonatas for solo violin, Op. 27, inspired by J.S. Bach.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary in 2023, three-time Grammy winner Hilary Hahn took on this work, which has shaped generations of violinists, and which she considers a „wonderful homage to the instrument.

UHQCD stands for Ultimate High Quality Compact Disc and is a joint development of the Japanese CD replication company Memory-Tech and the Audio Quality CD Company from Hong Kong. Unlike conventional CDs, UHQCDs are not pressed from polycarbonate, but cast from a photopolymer and cured with UV light. Another layer of high-purity polycarbonate is applied to the softer photopolymer for scratch protection. The combination results in significantly reduced reflection of laser light inside the CD and an unmatched precise edge transition between pits and lands of the CD. UHQCDs are 100% compatible with standard CD players. Musically, the result is a sound image strongly reminiscent of analog master tapes.

While Universal Music Japan’s first UHQCD series relied on the DSD data of previous SHM-SACD releases, with increasing popularity, albums that had not previously been released as SHM-SACD are now appearing. Typically, the Universal Archive master tapes are re-converted to DSD for this purpose. UHQCDs are ideal for music lovers who want to get as close as possible to the sound of the recording, but do not own an SACD player.

Lista pieselor

I. Grave (Sonata No. 1 in G Minor)

II. Fugato (Sonata No. 1 in G Minor)

III. Allegretto poco scherzoso (Sonata No. 1 in G Minor)

IV. Finale con brio (Sonata No. 1 in G Minor)

I. Obsession. Prèlude (Sonata No. 2 in A Minor)

II. Malinconia (Sonata No. 2 in A Minor)

III. Danse des Ombres. Sarabande (Sonata No. 2 in A Minor)

IV. Finale (Sonata No. 2 in A Minor)

Sonata No. 3 in D Minor „Ballade” (6 Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27)

I. Allemande (Sonata No. 4 in E Minor)

II. Sarabande (Sonata No. 4 in E Minor)

III. Finale (Sonata No. 4 in E Minor)

I. L’Aurore (Sonata No. 5 in G Major)

II. Danse rustique (Sonata No. 5 in G Major)

Sonata No. 6 in E Major (6 Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27)