Laurentiu Cristofor <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I have often wondered about why the recordings that Lipatti made, and
>that were issued on EMI, have such a poor quality.  I have heard older
>recordings that sound clearer than these who were made in the years
>1946-1950.  ...

The best-sounding Lipatti recordings I've heard have been on Japanese EMI
LPs or EMI-Electrola German LPs.  I think EMI has transferred most of these
recordings poorly.  I would recommend that you get APR 5509 (in the APR
Signature series).  Fo the contents of this CD, see

   http://www.towerrecords.com/product.asp?pfid=1537675

One of the merits of this disc is that it contains a previously unpublished
recording of "Jesu, bleibet meine Freude", but everything on this disc
(transferred brilliantly by Bryan Crimp) sounds as it should, and I think
you will be very satisfied.  Similarly, Lipatti's recording of the Chopin
concerto with Ackermann sounds much better on the OOP Jecklin CD than on
EMI.  Now, the contents of that Jecklin CD have been duplicated on a Palexa
CD, see

   http://www.towerrecords.com/product.asp?pfid=1501318

but I haven't heard this release, so I would proceed with caution.

I would not be surprised (indeed, I hope) that EMI takes another shot at
releasing the classic Lipatti recordings with more sensible processing than
what they've given us up to now.

Ramon Khalona
(NOT associated with Tower Records)