Une Idée, une Forme, un Etre
Parti de l’azur et tombé
Dans un Styx bourbeux et plombé
Où nul oeil du Ciel ne pénètre;

- L’Irrémédiable (1857), Charles Baudelaire.

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” Irredeemable Imperfection of Technology ”

01. J.S. Bach – Concerto In D Minor. BWV 974: II. Adagio
Glenn Gould Plays Bach and Scarlatti – 70th Anniversary Edition (2002)
02. W. A. Mozart – Le nozze di Figaro, K.492. Act 4. “L’ho perduta… me meschina!”
Patricia Petibon – Amoureuses (2008)
03. Hauschka – Morgenrot
Ferndorf (Fatcat, 2008)
04. Naked City – Fleurs Du Mal
Absinthe (Avant, 1993)
05. Claude Debussy – Beau Soir
Anne-Sophie Mutter: The Berlin Recital (1996)
06. Philip Glass – Trial 2 (I Feel The Earth Move)
Einstein On The Beach (1993)
07. Uakti & Philip Glass – Paru River
Philip Glass : Aguas da Amazonia (Orange Mountain Music, 2006)
08. C.W. Gluck - Armide. Act 5. Le perfide Renaud … Quand le barbare
Patricia Petibon – Amoureuses (2008)
09. J.S. Bach - Chromatic Fantasy in D minor, BWV 903a
Glenn Gould Plays Bach and Scarlatti – 70th Anniversary Edition (2002)

note: This list may seem complicated, but really a lighthearted weekend commentary. Limitation of recording technology, mp3 particularly is often more apparent than we would like to admit. The music in the list itself is simple fun, pop-ish even, with tongue and cheek melodrama. Hell, redemption and love, the usual subject with acoustic texture. But the big point is this: mp3 has flaw and one must aware of it just like any other technological limitation. In the list, instead of trying to hide recording quality differences, this time around I emphasize it. So one would notice immediately the “muffled” sound of large orchestra, noise floor, reduced quality softer sound, clarity differences of deep bass in various pieces, or the piano texture richness. It is annoying, but at the same time underline the need of awareness that recording technology has limitation. Sound representation is often noticeably inaccurate enough to distort total balance. As a listener it is important to demand better recording quality. (higher recording bit rate, lossless/FLAC) The best technology should be used to remove recording artifact and give as much freedom for artists to communicate their ideas. Of course, ultimately all are only approximation of live performances.

see also: Lossy audio compression, FLAC, mp3 (wiki)

image: Paul Klee. (German, born Switzerland. 1879-1940). The Arrow before the Target (Der Pfeil vor dem Ziel). 1921. Oil transfer drawing with watercolor on paper on board, 9 3/8 x 12 1/2″ (23.8 x 31.8 cm). John S. Newberry Collection. © 2008 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn