CD tip from Dieter Burmester in the
porsche-magazine „Christophorus“ / Issue 343

"Martin Vatter: KLANGBILDER – Piano"

"If you’re looking for something calmer, these very expressive grand piano renditions could be the thing. The ideal music for five o‘ clock tea while raindrops patter on the windowpanes and flames crackle in the fireplace – or when you’re watching the landscape fleet by in a Panamera."

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"Music to relax to"

"Away from the beaten track of music industry mainstream marketing, one can find delicate musical plants that thrive and prosper, and which enchant listeners. Martin Vatter, composer and pianist, has gained a growing reputation in audiophile circles over the last few years. In the meantime American listeners have also acquired an appreciation for his music. As you will know, Vatter´s sound productions are outstanding. The CD “KLANGBILDER”, which has just been published, impressively demonstrates how much the artist´s musical style has developed. Wonderful arcs of melody, tentative yet charged, create pictures in the mind that are wonderful and authentic. “KLANGBILDER”, also features effects that illustrate the possibilities and limitations of a hi-fi system. The pieces were performed on an excellent Steinway grand piano built in 1929 and recorded professionally at sound studio Bauer in Ludwigsburg...”
Joachim Pfeiffer



STEREO 1/2010

"Audiophile Highlght Of The Month"

"On the occasion of an exhibition about Lovis Corinth the pianist Martin Vatter was inspired to compose music relating to three of Corinth´s paintings of Lake Walchensee. The compositions in a sophisticated New Age style are not heavy going, but rather easy on the ear without becoming banal. He is accompanied on a flugelhorn in one piece of the 23-minute maxi CD. As the music was recorded in a room with excellent sound at Bauer studios by Jürgen Reis who developed MBL, the concert grand built in 1929 appears powerful, coloured, spatial and
rich in nuances. An audiophile gem! Martin Vatter sells this CD for only
8.90 €."



HÖRERLEBNIS 69

Martin Vatter produced a new maxi CD entitled “SOUND IMAGES” in co-operation with the renowned Franz Marc Museum. The pianist was to set three of Lovis Corinth´s famous paintings of Lake Walchensee (1858 - 1925) to music. “That was really a great honour for me, as I grew up not far from Lake Walchensee. Lovis Corinth used to have a holiday home in Urfeld close to Lake Walchensee and produced his famous paintings there. In order to be inspired by the originals, I spent some hours at the Corinth exhibition with a concert grand.” This was a great experience for the pianist. The compositions were recorded at the Bauer studios in Ludwigsburg on a Steinway D concert grand built in 1929. The impression is first-class with a high audiophile standard. Rating: Music pleasure of excellent sound.



HÖRERLEBNIS 61

„Portrait of the artist: Martin Vatter, pianist“

„...In his expressive piano productions Martin Vatter also wants to try out innovative ways to elicit new sounds from the instrument. In doing so, he doesn’t shrink from using complicated recording techniques. All sounds are played in real time and recorded one on top of each other. That is how a multi-layered, totally new sound experience is created on this musical instrument; something that has never been experienced up to now. It’s a musical voyage of discovery through totally new worlds of sound that can be discovered by the following sound carriers:

CD “Ask The Piano”:
“This is Martin Vatter’s first production. It was recorded 1994 in the renowned “Bauer Studios” in Ludwigsburg in a very big hall using the Neumann tube-microphone “SM 69”... The person in charge was the internationally famous sound engineer Carlos Albrecht who is highly appreciated in the audiophile world. A sound expedition for all those who prefer romantic piano sounds.”

CD “Be You”:
“Recorded in the Munich “Art By Heart” Studio in 1999 with Schoeps microphones... This resulted in making the mechanical sounds (pedal and damper noises) audible in the most wonderful way... A very direct and touching recording played with an incredible amount of emotion expressed in the music...”

Maxi-CD „Try A New Way“:
“...Produced in 2004 at the „Art By Heart“ studio in Munich and mastered by „Pauler Acoustics“ (Stockfisch-Records)... Here again Schoeps microphones were used so that the recording sounds immensely clear and full of details...”

Maxi-CD „Night Impressions“:
“...Recorded in 2006 at the „Art By Heart“ studio in Munich and mastered at „Stockfisch” Records. The artist uses only five titles to seduce the audience to enter sound worlds that do not sound like a piano only... It is an enrichment especially for those music lovers who enjoy new, unusual sounds... A listening experience of the special kind...”

180g Vinyl Record „Night Impressions - Try A New Way“:
The debut vinyl record of the artist now demonstrates once-and-for-all his desire to be perfect. The high quality copper DMMs were made by Günter Pauler (Stockfisch- Records). This alone serves as a guarantee for the record’s fine sound... An unequivocal recommendation for hifi gourmets!...”

Conclusion:
„An impressive musical performance that Martin Vatter gave here. His way of presenting the piano in quite unusual sound variations had to be honoured without any doubt... For those who are all too familiar with Keith Jarrett (already because they have listened to his music too often) Martin Vatter is a worthwhile alternative...”

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Michael Fremer / December 2007

„Minimalist Keyboard Mood Music For the Mind“

„...The recording’s atmospherics are notably rich and full-bodied, the individual high notes bell-tone pure, the low notes deep and enveloping. Dynamics are ultra-wide... The recording will get your attention!...”



analog aktuell 04/2007

„Exceptional Precision – Martin Vatter’s Art Of Playing The Piano“

„...Those who think of Keith Jarrett’s “The Köln Concert” will have an idea that comes quite close to the music performed. Despite undeniable similarities the totally different sound contrasts to the titles in the first side in an interesting way... The sound of the record is simply outstanding. The music is well balanced, although the entire stereo bandwidth of the piano is used. The sound is full and natural, dazzling heights coexist with bottomless basses. I do not hesitate to call this record a touchstone for the ability of a sound system to reproduce a concert grand in its entire sound range and dynamism...”

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AUDIO 8/2007

"LP TIP"

"...splendid Grand Piano-Sound, striking basses, beautiful melodies and a fantastic pressing quality..."



AUDIO 1/2007

The innovative and extraordinary composition "Night Train" from the Maxi-CD "Night Impressions" appears on the Audio Title-CD

"A precious mix"

"...Piano solo of the special kind is offered by Martin Vatter already known to readers of Audio due to two audiophile CDs of the month.
By muting and plucking the piano strings he extracts new sounds from his concert piano, which blend with the “normal” play to form an impressive sound ensemble. The pianist rides on “Night Train” - with exception of the sampled train noise at the beginning - exclusively self made sounds. Vatter’s Night Impressions, receiving the “audiophile” knighthood in AUDIO 9/2006, was mastered at the well known address of "Pauler Acoustics"...".
"... Highly dynamic Piano sounds!..."

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AUDIO 10/2006

Extract from the test report of the CD-Player TEAC / ESOTERIC P-03/D-03. Currently the best CD-Player in the world

"...Place "Midnight Prayer" from the new CD Night Impressions of the exceptional pianist Martin Vatter at midnight into the P-03 - even with the volume close above the auditory threshold you will still get goose pimples..."



AUDIO 9/2006

"Audiophile Pop-CD of the month"

"...Now a new Maxi-CD of the sound explorer on the piano was published: Night Impressions – again about 23 minutes long as well as recorded by Christian Willisohn and premastered at "Pauler Acoustics" – shows itself even more vivid then its predecessor. Vatter was, on his voyage through the night, not inspired by shades in black and grey – and his music is certainly not sleepy: In only five titles Vatter fans out a full cosmos of colourful sounds and places rhythmic accents full of vitality on his Yamaha piano. With exception of the train sample in the Intro everything was recorded pure – without any effects, but Vatter recorded up to eight Stereo tracks on top of each other which gives the transcendental sound a lot of power. By muting and plucking the piano strings with a plectrum he suggests that a complete ensemble is at work. "A listening experience of the special kind" promises the subtitle of this CD. One can only consent with this. Piano on new paths!"



Süddeutsche Zeitung

"„…Martin Vatter has the gift of stringing together the most stirring tones into melodious chains of sound […] never once does it become kitsch. A world full of beauty, tenderness and poetry..."



Musik Woche 15/2004

"A Bavarian Pianist on new paths!"

"The work of this impressive pianist blooms mainly in hiding. It contradicts any stylistic category and as such sounds the more impressive. Martin Vatter elicits from his instrument the most astounding sound nuances and the listener is in awe at the sound that this Bavarian pianist creates by damping individual strings. Hardly believable that no bigger label has yet noticed him…"



AUDIO 9/2004

"Audiophile CD of the month"

"The outstanding fact about this gifted solo pianist is his consistency and perseverance. Try A New Way, all 22 minutes of it, is a perfectly recorded little masterpiece beyond pretentious kitsch but filled with ambitious ballads. Vatter, who recorded his first CD Ask The Piano in the famous "Bauer Studios" in 1994, appears to be unstoppable by technical difficulties and accepts no recording compromises. This is no less apparent in the latest release, premastered by "Pauler Acoustics": Very few cuts provide a very authentic rendition of the noble Yamaha instrument..."



Süddeutsche Zeitung
(27.08.2004)

"...On his latest creation, Try a New Way, Martin Vatter the perfectionist again impresses with his clear improvisations and impressive musical transparency. Nothing obstructs the lyrical beauty of his music, rather the contrary – the contrast-filled programme allows the lyrics to unfold in perfect harmony…"
"21 minutes of listening bliss!"



AUDIO 8/2004

"...Try a New Way is superbly produced and cleverly composed. It is proof of this artists’ overwhelming desire to make music..."



Musik Woche 4/1995

"A Truly Worthwhile Discovery!"

"...His music carries you away on waves of passion, sensitivity and wonderful sound. It is charged with quiet power and steered by its progressive rhythm. The unusual blend tempts not only to listen but to experience repeatedly “listening pleasure”. The work of an impressive pianist..."



Carlos Albrecht
Internationally renowned music engeneer/producer

"...Ask The Piano is a production where everything falls into place. Music and form merge into one..."

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