One of the most influential pairs of ears in the recording industry belongs to Steven Epstein. The veteran producer’s name isn’t as famous as those of the iconic artists on his resumé — among them Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Wynton Marsalis, Murray Perahia and Sarah Vaughan — but he has significantly shaped the way we hear a wide spectrum of classical music, jazz and Broadway on disc. Epstein’s work has garnered multiple Grammys (including seven alone for Classical Producer of the Year), as well as Edison and Grand Prix du Disque awards.
The instinct for sustained, long-range focus that serves Epstein so well as a record producer manifested itself early, when he was growing up in Queens Village, New York in the ’50s and ’60s. He vividly recalls how, as a toddler, hearing a Columbia LP of Robert Casadesus playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 triggered his lifelong love of classical music. Epstein later turned his attention to sound equipment, intrigued by the variant results he experienced from hi-fi equipment. By the time he started high school, Epstein knew he wanted to pursue a career in record production.
“My ears had been opened to what was considered state-of-the-art sound when I started exploring records like The Fabulous Philadelphia Sound on my neighbor’s new Magnavox stereo,” says Epstein. “And I read the liner notes by Tom Frost about his responsibilities as a producer. So I wrote to ask him what qualifications were needed to enter the field. In those days there were no programs in sound technology, so he suggested that I major in music to get overall experience.”
Epstein stuck to his plan, studying violin and earning a degree in music education from Hofstra. He also acquired experience directing classical programming for the campus radio station. After graduating in 1973, Epstein once again wrote to Frost, who was then co-directing Columbia Masterworks (which later became CBS Masterworks). Impressed by his persistence, Frost brought him on board as a music editor. Epstein stayed with Columbia (which later became Sony) for over three decades, soon reaching the level of senior executive producer.
“On my very first day of work, I was asked to edit an album of Rudolf Serkin playing Beethoven sonatas,” Epstein recalls. “It really came down to learning by doing. But the timing was perfect.”
Part of Epstein’s secret through a career of more than three hundred commercial recordings has been to hold on to the intensity of his early passion. Despite the continual awards and honors, he demonstrates a distinctly self-effacing attitude about his role. “I used to be reluctant to offer interpretive points unless it had to do with drawing attention to wrong notes. As I’ve gained experience, I find, more and more, that artists will ask for my opinion on certain matters. Even so, you’re not making a record of what the producer wants but of the artist’s interpretation. You learn to respect the temperament of each artist.”
Jazz recording presents its own challenges, Epstein explains, since “you’re not adhering to a written musical score in jazz. These artists are composing from their heart, playing solos on the spot. I’ve learned an unbelievable amount from Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis. So what kinds of suggestions can I offer? There are some signposts, but the latitude of what is acceptable is different in jazz.
“It’s different in Broadway cast recordings,” he continues, “since you have more involvement over getting the dramatic aspect of the show to come across in the sound production. Producing shows like Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza has been especially fulfilling. The most important thing — for any genre — is to offer an honest overview. You’re not just looking for mistakes but for an awareness of whether the artist is delivering a successful overall performance. That’s why it’s so important for a producer to have a solid musical background.”
Epstein officially retired from Sony a few years ago but was promptly hired back as a consultant. A couple of his recent projects for Sony Masterworks just came out in September: Joshua Bell’s At Home with Friends and the “Zenph Re-performance” CD Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff. Since he started freelancing, Epstein has produced records for other labels as well, including John Adams’ Doctor Atomic Symphony (Nonesuch) and Marin Alsop’s account of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass (Naxos).
“Creating the most fertile environment possible for an artist is one of my main responsibilities,” Epstein explains. “Another is to make sure the sound is balanced. My philosophy is to create a concert hall experience in an idealized acoustic setting — without all the distractions that come with live performance. As soon as an audience comes in, it affects the quality of sound.” How, then, does he imagine his ideal sound? “I like to re-create the sense that I’m in the concert hall, with music emerging from velvety background abstractness. To accomplish that, I use as few mics as possible. I’ve made many symphonic and chamber music recordings with just two mics, since that allows for a greater sense of depth and more accurate imaging.”
