The Sphere Ensemble recorded its debut album, "Divergence," at Grusin Music Hall in the Imig Music Building.
The 2010 renovations at Grusin Music Hall have transformed it into a world-class concert hall, a unique asset for students and faculty and now, a noteworthy recording studio.
Earlier this year, Colorado Public Radio included two recordings at the College of Music’s recital space on its list of best classical music recordings in the state in 2015. David Korevaar and Geraldine Walther’s recordings of Paul Hindemith’s sonatas and the Sphere Ensemble’s debut recording made their way to the diverse list, which also includes the Tákacs Quartet’s Grammy-nominated Shostakovich album, recorded in England.
“Since Grusin was remodeled, it’s become a very good space for recording,” says College of Music Recording Engineer Kevin Harbison. “That coupled with the fact that we have really finely maintained pianos here makes it attractive for recording.”
The $650,000 renovations dramatically improved the sound quality in the hall; the stage was lowered and hollowed out to create reverberation.
“It really made it possible for us to do commercially viable recordings, and now it’s becoming kind of a magnet for them,” says Harbison.
The producer for the Hindemith recording was Andrew Keener, who’s been behind many of the Tákacs Quartet’s records.
“David [Korevaar] got a Roser grant to get him here a couple of days early, so right before spring break, students came in and recorded while Andrew produced,” Harbison explains. “It was a really phenomenal experience for everyone because students don’t get a chance to work at this level very often.”
Harbison says most of the recordings in the hall so far have been done by faculty and students, including a collection of never-before-recorded Leonard Bernstein works by Professor of Piano Andrew Cooperstock and a disc by violin faculty Charles Wetherbee and his Carpe Diem quartet.
In all, Harbison says about 10 commercial-quality recordings have come from Grusin Hall.
Another benefit of the recording capabilities is the experience they allow for students interested in music technology.
“So often, students go into recording thinking it’s a recital. But there’s no audience, so you can go back and redo something as many times as you want,” says Harbison.
“It’s a completely different mindset that you have to get comfortable with, so this allows them to practice that before they enter the professional world.”
For the 13 members of the Sphere Ensemble—many of whom are College of Music alumni—the fact that their alma mater offers such advanced recording options is unique and invaluable.
“It was the answer to our prayers,” says cellist and alumna Beth Rosbach. “We’re too big for most recording studios, and when you're recording in a smaller room, the sound can't resonate and spread in a way that sounds natural to us.”
The string ensemble—based in the Denver area—looked at other options for recording its disc “Divergence,” only to find that its old stomping grounds were the perfect fit.
“Grusin is so ideal because of its size and its isolation. You have a large space contained within a larger building, and it's designed to block outside noise and distraction,” says Rosbach.
“And being able to work with Kevin was fantastic, because he understands how to mic a classical group, but also had the creativity to work with our specific needs.”
“Divergence” features a little bit of everything, Rosbach says, and reflects the ensemble’s varied musical interests.
“One of the most satisfying aspects of this group is the wide variety of music that we are willing to explore,” she explains. “On the CD we included original arrangements of pieces by Ravel, Francisco Canaro and even the Styx song ‘Come Sail Away,’ just for fun!”
Rosbach says recording their debut album was an experience she and her colleagues won’t soon forget. “You would think that, after a week of intense 10-12 hour days, all the musicians would be pretty worn out, and we were! But a day or two later, a picture of one of our recording sessions was posted on Facebook, and one violinist immediately chimed in, saying, ‘I miss that place already!’"
To see the full list of CPR Classical’s top recordings of 2015, visit the CPR website.
