Gregorio Paniagua La Spagna

Numbered Edition: On the The Absolute Sound list of must-hear audiophile recordings. This album is a classic analogue recording from 1980, lovingly produced, engineered and edited by Robert von Bahr using a Revox A77 and two — presumably spaced — simple Sennheiser MKH105 omni condenser mikes (vintage early '60's design); it amply shows the merits of a simple signal path, combined with minimal intervention and post-processing.

The recording immediately astonishes with its fluid, natural and utterly truthful sound, and the acoustic of the Chapel of the Imperial College, Madrid is just beautiful. The music, all 80 minutes of it, features variations on three archetypal Spanish themes (La Spagna, a Spagnoletta and Pavane), as interpreted by different composers such as Praetorius, Farnaby, Negri, Josquin Desprez, Ortiz and others. Aided by impeccable playing and 'realization' of the basic themes, the end result is lively, fun and eclectic.

Numbered Ultimate High-Quality CD - Made in Japan.