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Mozart: The Travelling Whirlwind - Wessel

Mozart: The Travelling Whirlwind - Wessel

Ars Produktion  ARS 38 378

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Instrumental


Mozart:
Piano Sonata No. 7 in C major, K. 309
Piano Sonata No. 8 in D major, K. 311
Piano Sonata No. 9 in A minor, K. 310
Sonata Movement in G minor, K. 15p
Siciliano In D minor, K. 15u
Sonata Movement in B major, K. 400/372a

Michael Wessel (piano)

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Review by Adrian Quanjer - October 10, 2025

I won’t repeat all that I’ve said previously (Volumes 1 and 2), but with this fourth release, Wessel proves once more to be a precise and secure professor at the Grand. No frills, just Mozart. In a way, he reminds me of one of my favourites of the past: Ingrid Heabler. Same honesty, same grace, slightly more powerful.

These Sonatas are from a period when Mozart travelled, accompanied by his mother, around Europe to garner fame and, above all, Money. Published in Paris, they are called ‘Les Parisiennes’, but with a view to the speed of Mozart’s European tour, performed here under the title ‘Travelling Whirlwind’.

The liner notes are more than a chatter about the music at hand; it’s a lecture and a pleasure to read. What else could we have expected from a professor/teacher in Bayreuth?

If the final volume follows the same path, we are witnessing the making of a brilliant new complete set, cast in superior surround sound.

Blangy-le-Château, Normandy, France.

Copyright © 2025 Adrian Quanjer and HRAudio.net

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Comment by Adrian Quanjer - October 10, 2025 (1 of 7)

As I reported elsewhere, an inflamed shoulder tendon prevented Wessel from maintaining the scheduled pace. A lack of manufacturing availability caused further delay. I’ve been told that in Europe, Sony Austria is now the only SACD pressing plant left. Another sign of our living towards the end of the format?

Comment by EugenF - October 11, 2025 (2 of 7)

Thank you Adrian Quanjer for the review.

Already enjoyed the previous releases of Wessel albums and can confirm they are brilliant. Definitely I will buy the new volume which will be released on November 7th.

Speaking about the Sony Austria DADC pressing plant, can you give us more details? Are you sure that Sony Austria is now the only SACD pressing plant left in Europe?

From what I have read on internet (from MoFi's fb page) the SACD production was resumed at Sonopress Gmbh (Gütersloh) plant at the begging of this Summer. SACDs were on pause (aprox. 3 months during Spring) due to Sonopress shutting down for maintenance.

Comment by EugenF - October 13, 2025 (3 of 7)

(cont)
Excuse my typo error: 'plant at the begging of this Summer' should be read 'plant at the beginning of this Summer'


Wander if this MDG album, with indication 'Made in Germany', which will be released on 24.10.2025 was really made at Sonopress or not?

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/violin-sonatas/hnum/12367228

Mozart: Violin Sonatas - Gyenge, Schöch


Also I've seen on JPC some MDG albums with an interesting infos: 'Item will be re-manufactured'.
Here is an example:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Christian-Zacharias-OCL-Klavierkonzerte-Vol-1-22-KV-482-27-KV-595/hnum/1668850

Comment by Adrian Quanjer - October 17, 2025 (4 of 7)

Sonopress has had problems with SACD pressing in the past. I’ve written to them, but never got an answer. The site still lists SACD as one of its activities, but ChatGPT has not been able to discover any such pressings in 2025. One SACD editor told me that they had to go elsewhere (Austria). I sadly suppose that the demand for this medium no longer justifies the cost of maintenance and repair.

Comment by EugenF - October 24, 2025 (5 of 7)

Just checked my previous 3 sacd albums of Wessel and all were pressed at Sony DADC Austria (even on the back cover of first two was written Made in Germany).

From what you told us - quoting: 'A lack of manufacturing availability caused further delay' -, I can assume that also Sony DADC Austria was on a production pause (maybe for maintenance, during 3 months in Summer) this year.

Comment by EugenF - October 27, 2025 (6 of 7)

Adrian Quanjer, you are right about that: 'in Europe, Sony Austria is now the only SACD pressing plant left'.

Just found on Discogs some infos:
'Later Dec 2021 Sony DADC became the only replicator in EMEA and Americas.'

It seems that Sonopress stopped pressing sacds by January 1st 2022 and became just a simple broker(intermediate) of sacd production.

Comment by Downunderman - November 10, 2025 (7 of 7)

From Discogs

"Approx. December 2021 Sony DADC became the only SACD replication plant in EMEA and Americas. They now work with various clients from brokers of replication plants who may previously have had other sources."

In a nutshell Sonopress have been subbing off their SACD jobs to Sony DADC Austria since then. You will see this reflected in the matrix of the SACD's, which have a Sonopress job number and a Sony DADC Austria job number

The maintenance issues and consequent production delays referred to up thread in fact related to Sony DADC Austria. During this maintenance period Sony DADC Austria even had some discs made in Japan. I understand things are now back to normal.