Although I possess only seven albums from Altarus, I rate it as one of the best recording labels for several reasons. The sound quality is crisp, clear, and fresh, regardless whether the music is bombastically loud or a sister to silence. Their selection, though by no means extensive, has pioneered the rediscovery of many twentieth century composers such as Busoni, Sorabji, and others only on the fringes of reacceptance. Of great importance to me, the sleeve notes are thorough, presenting not only commentary and narrative descriptions of the works included, but history on the composers, performers, and the impetus behind each work, as well as numerous pictures and diagrams to better illustrate the selections. My only complaint is that the track times are not listen. |
