DIRECT MAIL SALES SHEET / River of Sorrow - audiophile CD
The wealth of Chinese music – its artistry and diversity – has accumulated through a long history of civilization and culture. So, too, has the quality of modern music production progressed through the research and methods developed by First Impression Music.
This CD, featuring Ultra High Definition 32-Bit Mastering and PureFlection precision replication, represents the union of these riches: the finest Chinese music, the consummate production process.
The music
Much of the repertoire of Chinese music originates from the natural progression of traditional and regional folklore, subsequently refined by both nameless and famous masters over the course of generations.
Such Chinese artists perform within a musical genre which comprises only five fundamental notes – unlike Western music – and thus the spectrum of musical instruments is also relatively simpler, while yet retaining a culturally-distinctive musical vocabulary. The simplicity of the instruments demands a high level of skill and artistry of a player who wishes to expressively perform Chinese music.
This recording is a celebration of some of the most-beloved instrumental pieces, featuring the two primary genres, erhu and guzheng – which may be regarded as the counterparts of the violin and piano, though their design principles and construction are vastly different – as played by two of the most revered masters of these instruments.
Madam Hui Fen Min is acknowledged by many in the Chinese music community as the uncontested master of the erhu, and the songs of her original River of Sorrow album (2000) are likewise acknowledged as her ultimate performance; yet I have been fortunate to record a number of her finest recitals and, in doing so, have acquired numerous exceptional tracks which were not included in that album. With the remastered River of Sorrow, these superlative tracks have been combined to form an album which is a treasury of the playing of Madame Hui, and which will preserve her music as a chronicle of Chinese heritage, tradition and history.
The production
FIM firmly established itself as a producer of exceptional Chinese music with River of Sorrow (2000), released in SACD hybrid format. That album was immediately acclaimed one of FIM’s finest productions to date, for both performance and sonority, both in the Chinese community and in many countries outside East Asia. That album was then further refined in the XRCD24 format in 2003, and thereafter remained among the most popular titles in the FIM catalog, representing what many believed was the ultimate in recordings of Chinese music. Then in 2008, FIM’s pursuit of excellence led again to the re-mastering of the recording using the definitive technology of the day: K2 HD 24-Bit 100 kHz. Our painstaking efforts with this album delighted audiophiles anew and cemented the reputation of FIM as a forerunner in the production of Chinese music.
But FIM has never measured success by the accolades we receive; our passion, and our purpose, is continually refining the musical experience.
Thus, the new recording you hold in your hands advances the benchmark to an even higher standard. Not only are we releasing a number of these breathtaking Chinese songs for the first time; the production of this album marks a new zenith in replication technology.
In order to achieve unmatched quality on River of Sorrow, FIM enlisted the help of two highly respected engineers to cut the lacquer: Mr. Doug Sax, who is internationally recognized for his workmanship in LP mastering and lacquer cutting, and Mr. Michael Bishop, the incomparable 16 Grammy Award-winner for recording engineering. Doug has taken charge of the mastering and lacquer cutting, of course; and in his role as mastering engineer – as the world’s best mastering engineer, in my opinion – Michael acts as the consultant, ensuring the quality of the music, sound, pressing, vinyl purity and quietness. In addition to these tasks, Michael directed the crafting of this CD to the highest-possible standard: Ultra High Definition 32-Bit Mastering with PureFlection precision replication.
FIM’s talented team and unrivaled technology result in a CD whose quality is simply unmatched in the recording industry.
No other production company could or would approach this project as FIM has done. Our goal is ambitious, yet I believe we have achieved it: both an LP and a CD of the most prestigious Chinese music, produced with the leading technology of the day. The LP is meticulously crafted as a 200 gram, 45 rpm, 3-disc compilation; our premium LP version is a handcrafted 6-disc set. These single-sided Clarity UHQR vinyl discs feature PureFlection lacquer processing on the obverse, yielding a natural sound that is exceptionally clear and clean. Handcrafted in small runs for music lovers who insist on the best, the Ultra LP version can be ordered through your distributor or directly from FIM. Likewise, this UHD CD version represents FIM’s ultimate, and final, version of this timeless music.
The result
River of Sorrow will stand as an expression of FIM’s unrivaled commitment to music production in all its stages, from recording to replication, and to the preservation of a rich heritage of distinctly Chinese music.