Polyhmnia International is one of the best known of the recording and mastering companies involved with Super Audio CD recordngs and more specifically Classical Music SACDs. Recently they held a press briefing at their studios in the Netherlands to announce that the firm has been involved in over 100 Super Audio CD projects in the last 12 month period and that it is expanding its SACD Mastering operation.
Company History
The company was formed in 1998 by several members of the Philips Classics Recording Center. It first came to the attention of Super Audio CD fans through its work on early Surround Sound SACDs including the two Hybrid Surround Sound SACDs packaged in the Philips SACD-1000 SACD/DVD Video/CD player, the world’s first Surround Sound SACD player. The company later continued its work in the Classical Music field for a number of companies.
In addition to working with SACDs from recording to editing and mastering, Polyhmnia is also known for original Direct Stream Digital (DSD) recordings and even making some of the equipment used in their sessions. This custom built or modified equipment includes a customized mic preamps and mics, custom-built automated Technica del Arte console, custom surround monitoring controllers and mastering consoles with state-of-the-art components, Studer analogue recorders modified with custom built electronics.
Polyhymnia Talks About Super Audio CD
Everett Porter, General Manager at Polyhymnia International says that “Super Audio CD is now at the centre of our business. All of our new recordings are destined for immediate or eventual SA-CD release, such is the creative potential of this high-resolution multi-channel format.”
SA-CD and DSD offer the industry something very special. They provide a natural evolution from CD in a world of multi-channel sound that offers an entirely new opportunity to the home music listener.”
Recording Projects for Caro Mitis in Russia
One of the more interesting Super Audio CD projects Polyhymnia has been working on involves the Carmo Mitis label. This record company, based in Russia, has teamed with Polyhymnia to produce and issue several well received Classical Music Surround Sound Super Audio CDs. To date, the label has released 4 such Super Audio CDs with 12 more planned during the current year, the first 4 of which are shown below. The first 4 Caro Mitis SACDs are available from Classicdisc.de and jpc.de in Germany and iryson.com in Slovakia.
First Four Caro Mitis Surround Sound SACD Releases
- Bach: Oboenwerke (Oboe Concertos), Vol. 1 – Alexei Utkin, Oboe with Hermitage Chamber Orchestra (Caro Mitis CM 0012003)
- Berezovsky: Secular Music – Pratum Integrum Orchestra (Caro Mitis CM 0022003)
- Bach: Oboenwerke (Oboe Concertos), Vol. 2 – Alexei Utkin, Oboe with Hermitage Chamber Orchestra (Caro Mitis CM 0032003)
- Bortnyansky: The Italian Album – Pratum Integrum Orchestra (Caro Mitis CM 0042003)
Upcoming Caro Mitis Surround Sound SACDs
- Bortnyansky: The Russian Album – Pratum Integrum Orchestra (Caro Mitis CM 0052003)
- Bach: Oboenwerke (Oboe Concertos), Vol. 3 – Alexei Utkin, Oboe with Hermitage Chamber Orchestra (Caro Mitis CM 0012004)
- Tietz: Instrumental Music – Pratum Integrum Orchestra (Caro Mitis CM 0022004)
- Mozart: Oboenspitze, Vol. 1 – Alexei Utkin, Oboe with Hermitage Chamber Orchestra (Caro Mitis CM 0032004)
July SACD Projcts at Polyhymnia
In terms of its current work, the company says that they have ten different SACD projects underway in July. The projects involve assigmnets for labels including BMG Japan, Universal Music, Telarc and PentaTone and artists including Mitsuko Uchida and Alfred Brendel.