Don Satz wrote: >I used to have a very difficult time enjoying historical recordings >with their assortment of fade-outs, interference, lack of clarity, >etc. In fact, I got to the point where I was hardly buying any of >them. Then, all of a sudden, I was able to easily tolerate fairly >poor sound and concentrate on the performance > >My advice for those who have trouble with sound quality is to keep >trying to resolve it. Don't give up! I almost did just that, and it >would have been a poor decision. I would like to second this. I have listened to historic recordings since I was a student when I discovered that many historic recordings offered vastely superior artistry for a much lower price. I didn't have a good sound system then and couldn't afford the sort of system to take proper advantage of quality recorded sound anyway. I thnk you need to carefully spend about 1800US$ on a system to really begin to do this in my opinion. Also do not forget that some carefully engineered mono recordings such as those produced by Walter Legge can in their naturalness easily outdo even the finest modern recordings. In those days good recording was about careful selection of acoutics environments, thoughtful microphone placement and above all thoroughly professional knowledge of the score. Today it is all about technological gimmickery. I must add that the finer the system you have the more the qualities inherent in some of those old productions shine through. The most extreme case was when I heard a system at my favourite hi-fi store where I have become friendly with one of the salesmen, who fortunately is a great classical music lover. I put on the Furtwaengler 1942 Beethoven 9th on a system which cost around 100 000$US (that's NOT a typo!) The hardware was all high-end Krell gear and the speakers the top end from Dunlavy (not the best classical speaker I should add). Even the speaker cables cost around 4000$US. Despite all the hiss of the old pre-Dolby sound and the distortion evident the rich acoustic of 'die alte Philharmonie' before it was destroyed by bombing shines through. The sense of bloom in the ancient sound was astonishing. The old mono sound came to life with a terrifying immediacy that was nothing but earth-shattering. Even the hardened audiophile salesman in the record shop was transfixed in amazement at Furtwaengler's wizardry. He was equally bowlderised by the 1944 Furtwaengler Bruckner 9th, and even though an avowed Karajan fan he immediately acknowledge Furtwaengler as the greater master of this score. I once made a point of going to the exact spot in Berlin on Bernberger Strasse when I was there: the wall had been built almost exactly over the old site where the old Philharmonic Hall once stood. I stood there imagining I could hear the resonance of the old days of Furtwaengler, and Nikisch. I firmly believe that as technology improves we will no longer require such ultra-expensive gear to unearth the positive recording qualities which lies hidden below so much surface noise. Anyway here are some wonderful recordings of ye olde, which due to a combination of beautifully balanced sound, imaginative microphone placement (no doubt of beautiful old tube microphones which although less accurate help create an illusion of sweetness) and supreme artistry which put many a modern recording to shame: 1. Elizabeth Schwarzkopf/Edwin Fischer Schubert Lieder (mono 1952; producer Walter Legge EMI) 2. Staatskapelle Berlin /Kempe Das Rheingold (early stereo 1959 release by EMI 'Les Introuvable du Ring') 3. Tristan und Isolde/Furtwaengler (mono1953 ; producer Walter Legge EMI) 4. Bartok Violin Concerto Nr. 2 Menuhin/Furtwaengler (mono 1953 from EMI) 5. Tosca/de Sabata (mono 1953 producer Walter Legge) 6. Brahms Symphony Nr 1/Jochum Berliner Phil. (Mono Deutsche Gramophon 1954) 7. Pablo Casals/Bach Cello Suites (Mono EMI 1936-39!!!) With recordings like these it can sometimes be a struggle listening to some of the worst digital recordings - and that's just in terms of the recorded sound! I should lastly mention to those who are wondering that ALL of these recordings were made years before I was born, so it has NOTHING to do with nostalgic yearning for the 'good olds days'. The first classical recording I bought was a CD: I speak as man of the digital age. Satoshi Akima Sydney [log in to unmask]