Hi David,

MP3’s - heaven forbid. Lossy compression devastates harpsichord sound, due to the algorithms employed (designed and optimised for pop music, in truth). Refer to my previous screeving on the matter in this thread. I feel a lot of what people dislike in the sound is the clearly audible MP3 compression artefacts, unavoidable due to digital signal processing theoretical and practical constraints. You can test this with double blind tests – but that topic had better move to a hifi or psychoacoustics list. :-)

I have a CD remastering of the 1953 performance on Vanguard Classics. I believe it is still available. On a good hifi. it sounds wonderful. I feel sure this instrument is an Ammer, as it shows no sign of the dreadful 16 foot that Neupert instruments have. Also, since the recording was made in Vienna in the Konzerthaus, I have a gut feeling it may have been one of Isolde Ahlgrimm’s own instruments. She had two.

The playing is magisterial, noble, and inspiring. We owe so much to Leonhardt.

Andrew

On 6/03/2016, 18:18, "Harpsichords and Related Topics on behalf of Kelzenberg, David C" <[log in to unmask] on behalf of [log in to unmask]> wrote:

I looked for the early  988 and was rather amazed to be unable to locate it.  I probably loaned it to someone one time and it never came back.  (Or, it could be hiding in any of the various large piles of junk strewn about here).  I was anxious to give a good listen to side-by-side compare the sound, bur, without the other, I am unable to do so without resorting to mp3s on UT.


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