Upon first listening, the first section (aria) of the 1955 recording has a much fuller sound than the 1981 recording. The 1981 recording is much quieter, and Gould plays the aria in a much more delicate fashion. However, the audio in the 1981 recording is much less compressed, meaning there is a larger dynamic range in this recording. Additionally, there is more reverb present in the 1955 recording, and the 1981 recording has much less echo.