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Today Igor ranks as the foremost harpsichordist of the day. In addition to his appearances with the Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony this season, he will give 40 or so recitals across the U.S., arriving for each concert with his 10-ft.-long Rutkowski and Robinette harpsichord neatly bundled inside a Chevrolet Sportvan. Between 1964 and 1971, Kipnis made 14 superlative discs for Epic and Columbia—notably a choice LP of short works, The Harmonious Blacksmith, that remains the best single recorded introduction to the instrument and its music. This week Angel, for whom Kipnis has recorded since 1972, releases a two-LP album called The English Harpsichord. Company officials are so pleased with Kipnis that they recently tore up a new two-year contract and rewrote it for five. Says Kipnis: "I like the wildly uneven rhythm of that."
William Bender