Ave Atque Vale, Gustav

Pioneer practitioner in and pillar of the then-called "Authentic Performance" movement (the forerunner of the present day Historically Informed Performance (HIP) movement), voluminously recorded Dutch harpsichordist, conductor, and organist Gustav Leonhardt has died at age 83 reports The Guardian. For many of our generation he was either a much-needed breath of fresh early-music air or the anti-Landowska academic and therefore, at the time, either praised or vilified, respectively. Either way, one never doubted his love of the early music to which he was devoted or his formidable harpsichord technique which was indeed impressive. His passing leaves the world of early music a little less rich. He will be missed.

Atque in perpetuum, Gustav, ave atque vale.