Lambert Orkis is Principal Keyboard of the National Symphony Orchestra

Having "worn both hats"—that of an audio recording producer and that as a featured performer – I can state with authority that the actual playing in a recording session is only one part of a long process that culminates in a published CD.

The extended effort that led to the recent release of my recording, with the NSO's Principal Cello, David Hardy, is illustrative of the orchestration of the various elements that result in the final product.

David and I have appeared in concert together for decades. The Beethoven cycle was one of our early endeavors. The opportunity arose to record the cycle for Dorian Recordings. The word "opportunity" sounds magical, as though we received a call and everything just fell into place.

Not quite.

Having had the experience of playing many of the great chamber music masterpieces on both modern and period keyboards, I thought a CD publication which allowed the listener to experience the direct comparisons I routinely make for myself would be attractive. Luckily, David and Dorian both agreed. Our two performances of the complete works by Beethoven for Piano and Cello, one reading using modern instruments, the other utilizing 3 different fortepianos and a cello with all gut strings.

Consensus is the first hurdle. Arranging for a time to record, securing the venue, the recording engineers, the session readers (people who make sure David and I play everything correctly—we are, after all, human and do make mistakes that we don't always catch) is the next step. And, since we are using a variety of keyboards, arrangements have to be made to prepare the instruments and to move them to and from the recording venue. The expert services of keyboard technicians for the entirety of the sessions must also be obtained. It is a lot to coordinate and it is something the producer, in this case me, and the assistant producer, in this case my wife, Jan, have to do.

David and I plan performances leading up to the recording dates so that we will be in peak form both individually and collectively.

 

David Hardy and Lambert Orkis rehearsing at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater for an all-Beethoven Kennedy Center Chamber Players Concert. Piano is by Thomas and Barbara Wolf of The Plains, Virgina, modeled after pianos made by the Munich artisan Jean-Louis Dulcken, ca. 1788. Photo by Jan Orkis.

 

David Hardy and Lambert Orkis rehearsing at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater for an all-Beethoven Kennedy Center Chamber Players Concert. Piano is by R.J. Regier of Freeport, Maine, modeled after Viennese pianos of ca. 1830. Photo by Jan Orkis.

 

Recording day arrives. The keyboard for the session has been moved, serviced, and is ready. The modern version of this recording takes place in July. Very hot and humid weather had moved into Northern Virginia where the sessions are taking place. As the climate control must be turned off during recording for sonic reasons, we must endure increasing heat and humidity during the sessions. This affects our instruments and our playing. As the session facility is on a working farm, we are sometimes put on hold until an agricultural machine passes. Approach patterns to Dulles airport change, the sonic fallout of which also can affect our work flow. Birds sing, insects buzz. Thunderstorms and rain can and do occur. Patience is required by all parties and David and I need to stay at the "top of our game," physically and emotionally. The music buoys our spirits and we soldier on.

Version two, recorded in late winter and using period instruments, involves moving three fortepianos into the recording venue. Period pianos require vastly more servicing than their modern counterparts and they are much more susceptible to climate changes. And, of course, March decides to be bitterly cold and windy. Now, instead of playing with sweaty fingers which stick to our instruments, we begin to wonder at what point the increasing cold in the venue will adversely affect our playing. We look forward to breaks when the heat can be turned on yet also realize that the change in temperature will affect our instruments. The keyboards will go out of tune and the gut strings on the cello will inform David of the change in the environment.

The wind also contributes some interesting sounds to the proceedings and when the weather improves, it is welcomed with great enthusiasm by the song birds who sing lustily as they go about their spring duties of establishing nesting territories. Sometimes we think we are in an aviary. We note with amazement their fondness for loudest singing during our softest passages.

After the NSO returns from Asia in June and the final Kennedy Center Chamber Players concert of the season is performed on June 28, David and I look forward to a leisurely next phase of our recording project.

But, a communiqué from Dorian informs us of a fast approaching deadline. We have little time and much to do.

The next phase of the production involves editing the performances, designing the CD package, writing the program notes, and constructing an acknowledgement page as well as program pages with track listings and timings.

All of this takes considerable time and energy.

The readers at the sessions have kept a log of our exertions. They have their opinions and observations. David and I have ours. He and I listen individually and collectively to the music we have recorded. David has taken an active interest in the digital editing process and does excellent editing work using his own computer equipment. Since he is willing to shoulder this labor-intensive effort, the final sonic results can more easily reflect our collective taste.

We call and e-mail each other incessantly. When time prohibits getting a physical CD from David, I use the internet to review David's editing results. Visits to the Dorian studios are made to "mix the sound," meaning that we must come to a collective decision about the ambience of the sonic environment as well as settle any balance issues between the cello and the piano. This process must be repeated with each change of keyboard instrument.

Meanwhile, program notes are being written by David and me. He takes care of the cello side of the equation. I write about the compositions and the various keyboards. Facts must be checked. Spelling and grammar are scrutinized and reexamined. The graphics designer at Dorian sends us ideas as to the look of the front and back covers as well as the various visual elements of the CD booklet and the interior leaves of the CD box. Photos taken of David and me as well as of our instruments are reviewed. It is decided that more pictures of our instruments are needed. The instruments are no longer at the recording venue. As David and I both have some skill at digital photography and post production, we offer to take the additional pictures as required. What we don't know about uploading large files over the internet is quickly though perhaps not conveniently learned.

Time pays no heed to our diligent efforts and proceeds with complete equanimity. We on the other hand are striving furiously. David must perform in Colorado. He is clever with the use of his computers and continues editing while traveling. I download massive amounts of data from him for review. I upload what he needs in return.

We learn that an elf that resides in graphics software manages to change spellings when text is reformatted. With each new graphic version, a complete reproofing of the program notes is required. And, there are many graphic revisions. More errors come to our attention. Sometimes it feels as though we are lost in a vast swamp with an unwavering requirement to exit the morass at a specific time.

It becomes evident that a relative of the above elf works in the area of mixing software. The audio mixes David receives from Dorian sound different from that which I receive. All parties swear we have the same material. We consult on the phone. We listen on each other's sound systems. It takes some time to sort it all out.

At some point, someone has to make some final decisions. I make some, David weighs in on areas within his purview, and Dan Shores, the Managing Director of Dorian, resolves all controversies.

When we hold the final product in our hands, we are amazed that it actually came to pass. It is not easy and fortunes are not made with this type of production. But David and I love the music, we enjoy working together, and deeply appreciate the untiring efforts of the people at Dorian who help make this type of musical documentation possible.

 

Beethoven Past and Present, the complete variations and sonatas for Piano and Cello, with Lambert Orkis pianist/fortepianist and David Hardy cellist, is also available through the Kennedy Center Gift Shop.