OnClassical

OnClassical caught my attention for a reason that goes beyond its catalogue. This Italian independent classical label was built around the idea that careful performance and careful recording should belong together, and that philosophy can be heard across very different composers and musicians. Founded by pianist, producer and sound engineer Alessandro Simonetto in 2003, the label was also an early adopter of direct digital distribution for classical music. Today its catalogue stretches from Bach and Beethoven to Debussy, Satie, Joplin and Rachmaninoff, performed by a substantial roster of pianists, chamber musicians and ensembles. For me, the attraction is the combination of musical seriousness and a recording approach that does not try to make classical music sound artificially impressive.

A catalogue built around the performer

Piano recordings form a particularly strong part of OnClassical, and they are a good place to understand the character of the label. Maurizio Zaccaria’s Beethoven recordings are one example. His 2022 album of the Piano Sonatas Opp. 109, 110 and 111 deals with Beethoven’s final three sonatas, music where interpretation matters far more than simple technical brilliance. What I like here is the sense that the piano is allowed to speak naturally. In Op. 109, the contrast between the quick opening ideas and the much more reflective final variation movement becomes part of a larger musical argument rather than a demonstration of the instrument. When the playing becomes quiet, I can follow the decay of individual notes and the changing weight of Zaccaria’s touch without losing the structure of the music.

Jacopo Salvatori’s Debussy recordings show another side of OnClassical. His 2019 album *L’isle joyeuse, Suite bergamasque, Images I/II* includes several pieces that can quickly become little more than beautiful sound in less disciplined performances. In *Clair de lune*, I listen particularly to the spacing between phrases and to the way the piano moves from softness to greater intensity without suddenly becoming oversized. *Reflets dans l’eau* is more revealing still. The overlapping figures need clarity, but too much sharpness can destroy the fluid character of the piece. Salvatori gives me enough definition to hear the layers while preserving that constant movement underneath.

François Dumont’s recording of Mussorgsky’s *Pictures at an Exhibition* is another useful example because the music asks for almost the opposite qualities. The opening *Promenade* needs weight and direction, while later sections demand much stronger dynamic contrasts and changes of character. Here I enjoy hearing how the instrument changes scale from one section to the next. The piano can sound firm and physical without becoming hard, and the quieter passages do not collapse into a vague background. That ability to preserve contrasts is one of the qualities I associate with the better OnClassical recordings.

Recording without unnecessary polish

The technical philosophy behind the label is unusually clear. OnClassical states that its recordings are generally captured at 88.2 kHz and 24-bit resolution, with editing, mixing where required, and mastering carried out at 32-bit resolution. Simonetto also describes a preference for relatively small microphone setups, often no more than eight microphones, using equipment that includes Prism Sound electronics and microphones from Brüel & Kjær and Neumann. More important to me than the specifications is the stated aim: capture the musical balance properly during the session and avoid changing that balance unnecessarily during mastering.

I can hear why that approach works particularly well with solo piano and chamber music. A piano recording should not simply give me spectacular bass or an enormous stereo image. I want to understand where the instrument sits, how notes develop after the initial strike and how the room contributes to the sound. Good OnClassical recordings often provide enough space around the instrument to make this easy to follow. The stereo image can be generous, but it normally remains coherent rather than breaking the keyboard into exaggerated left and right sections.

Dynamic range is also treated seriously by the label. That matters with classical repertoire because much of the expression sits between the obvious peaks. With good speakers or headphones, small variations in pressure, articulation and sustain become easier to hear. I find that more rewarding than recordings mastered simply to sound immediate. It also means these albums benefit from a system with low noise and good midrange transparency, although I would never describe them as recordings that exist only to test DACs, amplifiers or loudspeakers. The musical performance remains the reason to listen.

More than the familiar repertoire

Another thing I appreciate about OnClassical is that the catalogue is not limited to obvious classical favourites. Alessandro Simonetto himself has recorded extensive programmes devoted to Erik Satie and Scott Joplin, and his work on Leroy Shield’s original piano music associated with Laurel and Hardy opens the door to repertoire that sits well outside the usual recital programme. That curiosity gives the label more personality than a catalogue built only around another Beethoven or Chopin cycle.

At the same time, familiar works are not avoided. Bach’s *Goldberg Variations*, Beethoven’s sonatas, Chopin’s preludes and Debussy’s piano music all appear in multiple recordings or projects. I actually like that combination. A label can introduce me to something unusual while still giving me recordings I can compare with interpretations I have known for years. That is useful listening because differences in timing, articulation and musical priorities become immediately obvious.

OnClassical therefore interests me both as a classical label and as a recording project with a recognizable point of view. I value its straightforward presentation of instruments, its respect for dynamics and, most importantly, the range of musicians who are given room to shape familiar and unfamiliar repertoire in their own way. The recordings of Zaccaria, Salvatori and Dumont show that the label’s identity does not depend on one particular composer or one fixed sonic trick. What I value most is that the engineering supports the performance instead of asking me to notice the engineering first.

HiFi’ve, Ronald – Your EarFluencer