This chapter explores conceptual intersections between German Neue Sachlichkeit and Italian Neo-Idealism during the interwar years, particularly within debates on musical interpretation. Despite their apparent incompatibility—Neue Sachlichkeit being media-oriented and objectivist, Neo-Idealism emphasizing subjectivity and intuition—both traditions converged in minimizing the role of the performer, and sharing an ideal of mechanical, depersonalized performance. Through Italian press discourse and the 1933 Florence International Music Conference, the chapter shows how sound recording, notwithstanding Idealist scepticism toward technology, was ultimately embraced as a means of ensuring fidelity to the composer’s intent. This convergence highlights an unexpected dialogue between two divergent aesthetic cultures, especially in the realm of musical mediation and interpretation.