The Manoel Theatre (Teatru Manoel) in Malta is both a historical monument of immense cultural value as well as the most important performing arts venue of the small island nation. It has a rich and long history, dating back to 1731 when it was built on request of Grand Master Fra António Manoel de Vilhena… Hence its name. It is a beautiful place and European theatre afficionados agree – attending a show at the Manoel is a magical experience.
Many classical musicians have been dedicated to their craft since childhood: they’ve spent thousands of hours perfecting their playing technique, studying theory and harmony and history of music, taking lessons with awe-inspiring (and occasionally fear-inducing) professors, and developing a richness of sound that can fluctuate deftly between dramatic passion and subtle nuance, to make even the most hardened of hearts shed a tear of emotion at such sonic beauty! How do we capture in audio the complex compositions of classical music and the natural resonance of these acoustic instruments, and do justice to the sound that classical musicians and singers have worked so hard to create? Goodbye overdubs and hardcore effects processing: classical music recording and production is generally all about finding the most flattering acoustic space to record in, and capturing the musical instrument or voice in a way that best brings out its natural sonic qualities.
