Thirty three and a third.

[CelluloidBiker]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum; I was inspired to join because I'm in the midst of a Bach vinyl kick, mainly keyboard works. I've acquired the following LP sets in the last few weeks, and they've all been on heavy rotation (all on harpsichord unless otherwise noted):

The Well-Tempered Clavier 1 & 2 - Helmut Walcha (Archiv 1978, rec. 1973-74)
The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1 - Ralph Kirkpatrick, clavichord (Archiv 1959)
The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2 - Ralph Kirkpatrick, clavichord (Archiv 1967)
The Art of Fugue - Gustav Leonhardt (Harmonia Mundi 1974, rec. 1969)
Goldberg Variations - Trevor Pinnock (Archiv 1980)

All phenomenal, near-silent pressings of brilliant performances. But beyond the sound quality, another reason I love listening to this music on vinyl is that, unlike digital formats, it forces one to listen in smaller sidelong doses. For me this is the ideal way to take in these dense, lengthy collections of keyboard pieces. I also appreciate that used classical records tend to be in excellent condition far more often than in other genres of music. A culture of fastidiousness and respect for the art and its representation. I love it.

Apart from Leonhardt's Kunst der Fuge, I was quite familiar with these recordings digitally before tracking them down on vinyl, and since doing so I've come to appreciate them even more. I could rhapsodize about each of them, but for now I just want to shout out Ralph Kirkpatrick's WTC Book 2 on Archiv, which might be my single favorite Bach keyboard recording. Kirkpatrick's clavichord has a mystical, shimmering quality, and his performances are extraordinarily thoughtful. Each side of vinyl has four sets of preludes and fugues, which feels to me like the perfect "dosage" for one sitting. Which is not to say I never plow through all three LPs back-to-back, but it feels right to give my ears and brain a bit of a rest between sides. Kirkpatrick also wrote some great liner notes that expound on the unique advantages of the clavichord and analyze each prelude and fugue as though they were sketches for works of a greater scale. His Book 1 on clavichord is an equally brilliant performance, but the recording has a relatively anemic quality compared to his Book 2.

Current dilemma: I'm considering buying a vinyl copy of Trevor Pinnock's recording of the 6 Partitas (Archiv 1985) from a local record store, but the fact that it's a digital recording is giving me pause. I did a few quick needledrops at the store's listening station, and it sounded as good as the other (excellent) Archiv vinyl I've heard. I know what matters most is my subjective satisfaction with the sound quality, but even if these records sound amazing, I'm wondering if CD might be the way to go for digitally recorded music.

So my question for the fine folks of this thread is: should I go for it? And why?/why not?

[Irons]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum; I was inspired to join because I'm in the midst of a Bach vinyl kick, mainly keyboard works. I've acquired the following LP sets in the last few weeks, and they've all been on heavy rotation (all on harpsichord unless otherwise noted):

The Well-Tempered Clavier 1 & 2 - Helmut Walcha (Archiv 1978, rec. 1973-74)
The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1 - Ralph Kirkpatrick, clavichord (Archiv 1959)
The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2 - Ralph Kirkpatrick, clavichord (Archiv 1967)
The Art of Fugue - Gustav Leonhardt (Harmonia Mundi 1974, rec. 1969)
Goldberg Variations - Trevor Pinnock (Archiv 1980)

All phenomenal, near-silent pressings of brilliant performances. But beyond the sound quality, another reason I love listening to this music on vinyl is that, unlike digital formats, it forces one to listen in smaller sidelong doses. For me this is the ideal way to take in these dense, lengthy collections of keyboard pieces. I also appreciate that used classical records tend to be in excellent condition far more often than in other genres of music. A culture of fastidiousness and respect for the art and its representation. I love it.

Apart from Leonhardt's Kunst der Fuge, I was quite familiar with these recordings digitally before tracking them down on vinyl, and since doing so I've come to appreciate them even more. I could rhapsodize about each of them, but for now I just want to shout out Ralph Kirkpatrick's WTC Book 2 on Archiv, which might be my single favorite Bach keyboard recording. Kirkpatrick's clavichord has a mystical, shimmering quality, and his performances are extraordinarily thoughtful. Each side of vinyl has four sets of preludes and fugues, which feels to me like the perfect "dosage" for one sitting. Which is not to say I never plow through all three LPs back-to-back, but it feels right to give my ears and brain a bit of a rest between sides. Kirkpatrick also wrote some great liner notes that expound on the unique advantages of the clavichord and analyze each prelude and fugue as though they were sketches for works of a greater scale. His Book 1 on clavichord is an equally brilliant performance, but the recording has a relatively anemic quality compared to his Book 2.

Current dilemma: I'm considering buying a vinyl copy of Trevor Pinnock's recording of the 6 Partitas (Archiv 1985) from a local record store, but the fact that it's a digital recording is giving me pause. I did a few quick needledrops at the store's listening station, and it sounded as good as the other (excellent) Archiv vinyl I've heard. I know what matters most is my subjective satisfaction with the sound quality, but even if these records sound amazing, I'm wondering if CD might be the way to go for digitally recorded music.

So my question for the fine folks of this thread is: should I go for it? And why?/why not?

Welcome. Delighted a new voice joining vinyl thread. The extra warmth of the LP record lends itself very well for harpsichord music. Not a genre that takes a prominent part of my listening time but even so would not be without harpsichord recordings on my shelves.
Helmut Walcha recorded WTC complete for The HMV Baroque Library. I picked up the whole set cheaply. I'm certain I can learn more from you of the most desirable recordings but will give a shout for Heguette Dreyfus who's recordings I enjoy.
Personally I would not worry that Pinnock's is in the digital domain on LP. For a long time I took the view horses for courses - digital CD and analogue LP. I have since broken the habit purchasing many digital LPs in great sound. Why deprive yourself of a performance or music on LP?

[atardecer]

Another thing to perhaps consider, is I have heard of 'CD rot' where CDs somehow go bad over time and become unplayable, (thankfully this has not happened to me thus far). But considering I have never heard of 'LP rot', that is a possible advantage to purchasing digital recordings on LP over CD.

[CelluloidBiker]

^Excellent point. As far as I know, vinyl is the most stable format for the long-term preservation of sound recordings, as long as it's cared for properly.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I ran across this LP in excellent shape for 50 cents.



It was pressed in Germany.

PD

[ritter]

I ran across this LP in excellent shape for 50 cents.



It was pressed in Germany.

PD

Looks great!

And the cover art, Rousseau's The Snake Charmer, brings fond memories to me, as it was also on the cover of Monteux's recording of The Rite of Spring, which was in parents' collection:

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Looks great!

And the cover art, Rousseau's The Snake Charmer, brings fond memories to me, as it was also on the cover of Monteux's recording of The Rite of Spring, which was in parents' collection:

I knew that I had seen that artwork before!     Alas, some of the plastic(?) covering to the LP jacket is a bit bubbled (separated), but the LP (the most important part) looked to be in pristine shape.  I don't know how MTT is regarded in terms of Debussy, but at that price, I couldn't say no. 

PD

[vandermolen]

I ran across this LP in excellent shape for 50 cents.



It was pressed in Germany.

PD

I remember listening to that LP in the university music library in my student days.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I remember listening to that LP in the university music library in my student days.

How did you like it Jeffrey?

PD

[Scion7]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum; I was inspired to join because I'm in the midst of a Bach vinyl kick, ........

[Irons]

Very good. Same recording, I would think.

[vandermolen]

How did you like it Jeffrey?

PD

Very nice PD

[Valentino]

I bought Víkingur Olafsson's sensational Goldberg Variations on vinyl. Not a bad idea to be forced out of the chair three times in the duration!
Please note that it is not a natural piano sound. Lots of microphones, lots of PEQ, lots pro tools plugins. But the playing though!

[CelluloidBiker]

I'm certain I can learn more from you of the most desirable recordings but will give a shout for Heguette Dreyfus who's recordings I enjoy.
Personally I would not worry that Pinnock's is in the digital domain on LP. For a long time I took the view horses for courses - digital CD and analogue LP. I have since broken the habit purchasing many digital LPs in great sound. Why deprive yourself of a performance or music on LP?

Thanks for the Huguette Dreyfus rec! I checked out her Goldberg Variations today and thought it was lovely. Excited to hear more of her recordings.

I ended up buying the Pinnock Partitas LP set and am very satisfied with the sound quality. Since then, however, I've heard several other harpsichord recordings of the Partitas for the first time, and Leonhardt's first set on Harmonia Mundi has become an instant favorite. So, in an extremely anal record collector move, I ordered a copy of this BASF/Harmonia Mundi pressing to match this pressing of Leonhardt's Art of Fugue I already have. They're not first pressings, but the sound quality is stunning, and I love the aesthetics of the artwork on this particular mid-70s run of reissues.

Comparing the vinyl pressings of the Leonhardt and Pinnock Partitas, the Leonhardt is a 3-LP set with one partita on each side, while the Pinnock is a 2-LP set with the partitas arranged partially out of order and two of them broken up across sides. This makes the Pinnock set an awkward listening experience. My theory is that Archiv in 1985 saw the advent of the compact disc and decided to divert resources away from vinyl and into the new format, hence squeezing the Partitas onto two LPs, when three LPs/one Partita per side is the most obvious and natural arrangement imaginable, since each Partita is approximately 20 minutes long.

[Irons]

Greek Audiophile Society.

https://youtu.be/Z07gTWyyiM0?si=eXrFq97jYOd9dFUZ

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Greek Audiophile Society.

https://youtu.be/Z07gTWyyiM0?si=eXrFq97jYOd9dFUZ

Oh, my!

PD

[Spotted Horses]

Current dilemma: I'm considering buying a vinyl copy of Trevor Pinnock's recording of the 6 Partitas (Archiv 1985) from a local record store, but the fact that it's a digital recording is giving me pause. I did a few quick needledrops at the store's listening station, and it sounded as good as the other (excellent) Archiv vinyl I've heard. I know what matters most is my subjective satisfaction with the sound quality, but even if these records sound amazing, I'm wondering if CD might be the way to go for digitally recorded music.

A vinyl pressing of a good digital recording should sound have just as much "vinyl sound." The unique sound of an LP is due to distortion of the signal. A good digital recording is indistinguishable from the original signal. So it doesn't make any difference if you make an analog recording of the original signal or of a digital reproduction of the signal. I might have some reservation about a 1985 digital recording, because that was before the really good ADCs were introduced.

[Irons]

A rarity in more ways then one. A Mexican pianist performing Brahms behind Iron Curtain. Unable to find details of recording dates. However, blue and gold label Supraphons are rare and early. Three Intermezzos are beautiful and Kahan performs them excellently, comparing well with other recordings of the pieces.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

A rarity in more ways then one. A Mexican pianist performing Brahms behind Iron Curtain. Unable to find details of recording dates. However, blue and gold label Supraphons are rare and early. Three Intermezzos are beautiful and Kahan performs them excellently, comparing well with other recordings of the pieces.

I'm trying to find out some more information on him.  I did find this:

This was from a youtube channel [On the top of Damavand forever]:  José Kahan (1931-1986). Nació en la Ciudad de México. Discípulo de Pablo Castellanos, se graduó en el Conservatorio Nacional. Estudió en el Instituto Curtis de Filadelfia con Isabelle Vengerova. Con un impresionante repertorio que abarcaba desde la escuela preclásica hasta la contemporánea y moderna, hizo diversas giras de conciertos por Estados Unidos, Sudamérica, Europa, Israel, Japón e India. Estrenó los conciertos para piano de Blas Galindo y Armando Lavalle en Europa y Estados Unidos. Fue profesor de piano en el Conservatorio Nacional y en la Escuela Nacional de Música. Grabó recitales en discos, y en 1980 realizó una serie de programas de televisión donde grabó 365 miniconciertos didácticos sin repeticiones durante un año entero como un significativo esfuerzo para llevar la cultura musical a la población mexicana. Poco después de su fallecimiento, su familia donó su amplio acervo de partituras a la Escuela Nacional de Música.

Google translate:  Joseph Kahan (1931-1986). He was born in Mexico City. A disciple of Pablo Castellanos, he graduated from the National Conservatory. She studied at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia with Isabelle Vengerova. With an impressive repertoire ranging from the pre-classical school to the contemporary and modern, he made several concert tours in the United States, South America, Europe, Israel, Japan and India. He premiered the piano concertos of Blas Galindo and Armando Lavalle in Europe and the United States. He was a piano teacher at the National Conservatory and the National School of Music. He recorded recitals on discs, and in 1980 he made a series of television programs where he recorded 365 didactic mini-concerts without repetitions for an entire year as a significant effort to bring musical culture to the Mexican population. Shortly after his death, his family donated his extensive collection of sheet music to the National School of Music.

I also found this (haven't read it all);  here you go...https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/mexican-soviet-relations-1958-1964-the-limits-engagement

PD

[Irons]

I'm trying to find out some more information on him.  I did find this:

This was from a youtube channel [On the top of Damavand forever]:  José Kahan (1931-1986). Nació en la Ciudad de México. Discípulo de Pablo Castellanos, se graduó en el Conservatorio Nacional. Estudió en el Instituto Curtis de Filadelfia con Isabelle Vengerova. Con un impresionante repertorio que abarcaba desde la escuela preclásica hasta la contemporánea y moderna, hizo diversas giras de conciertos por Estados Unidos, Sudamérica, Europa, Israel, Japón e India. Estrenó los conciertos para piano de Blas Galindo y Armando Lavalle en Europa y Estados Unidos. Fue profesor de piano en el Conservatorio Nacional y en la Escuela Nacional de Música. Grabó recitales en discos, y en 1980 realizó una serie de programas de televisión donde grabó 365 miniconciertos didácticos sin repeticiones durante un año entero como un significativo esfuerzo para llevar la cultura musical a la población mexicana. Poco después de su fallecimiento, su familia donó su amplio acervo de partituras a la Escuela Nacional de Música.

Google translate:  Joseph Kahan (1931-1986). He was born in Mexico City. A disciple of Pablo Castellanos, he graduated from the National Conservatory. She studied at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia with Isabelle Vengerova. With an impressive repertoire ranging from the pre-classical school to the contemporary and modern, he made several concert tours in the United States, South America, Europe, Israel, Japan and India. He premiered the piano concertos of Blas Galindo and Armando Lavalle in Europe and the United States. He was a piano teacher at the National Conservatory and the National School of Music. He recorded recitals on discs, and in 1980 he made a series of television programs where he recorded 365 didactic mini-concerts without repetitions for an entire year as a significant effort to bring musical culture to the Mexican population. Shortly after his death, his family donated his extensive collection of sheet music to the National School of Music.

I also found this (haven't read it all);  here you go...https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/mexican-soviet-relations-1958-1964-the-limits-engagement

PD

Thanks! Apparently he enjoyed an extensive and full career. Just going by that Brahms recording Kahan was a gifted pianist. Still puzzled how he came to record for Supraphon though.

The Wilson Centre link didn't work for me unfortunately.