Ansermet/OSR: Stravinsky Firebird (rec. 1955) - German Decca SXL 2017

$

35

redgarnett Store ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This handsome LP from German Decca (SXL 2017, German Teldec · Telefunken-Decca pressing, black/gold label, stereo) features Ernest Ansermet's first stereo recording of Stravinsky's The Firebird (version 1910), set down in the rich acoustics of Victoria Hall, Geneva during 11-14 May 1955 with L'Orchestra de la Suisse Romande on glittering and brilliant form – a gramophone classic (producer: James Walker / engineer: Roy Wallace).

Note: In addition to the original sleeve, there is also included a full-size, 4-page, full-color catalog with reproductions of other Decca and Decca-pressed RCA recordings.

As one of Stravinsky's most steadfast champions, Ansermet had known this score intimately for over 30 years, and brings tremendous authority and a lifetime's wisdom. This is truly one The Firebird's great performance on disc, hypnotic from first to last – a wonderful, thrilling, vibrant, poetic reading – unforgettable!

In his review of the Decca Eclipse LP re-issue of this performance, the critic M.E.O. wrote in his August 1978 review for The Gramophone:

“Stravinsky described Ansermet as ‘a perfect executant of my works’, praising especially ‘his faculty for seeing what is actually in the score’, his lack of any ‘determination to find there what he would like to find’. Fidelity and precision are indeed the prime characteristics of these performances and there must be many listeners who are grateful for having learned their Stravinsky from them…In Arisermet, Stravinsky found an interpreter as insistent as he was himself on letting the notes speak for themselves, with the minimum of subjective 'interpretation', wouldbe effective gestures and dramatic exaggerations…Here and in The Rite and in The Firebird, Stravinsky's orchestral colours have a vivid clarity, the phrasing a sharp pungency; one is made freshly aware, too, of how much delicacy and subtlety of sound there is in these scores. Stravinsky again: ‘Ansermet's merit lies precisely in his ability to reveal the relationship between the music of today and that of the past by purely musical means.

“Brief summaries, then, of my notes on Ansermet's Stravinsky revisited. ECS 817: a lyrical, Rimskyan Firebird. Much delicacy and tenderness (the Princesses' Dance exquisitely done); edges finely moulded (the wind solos in the Prelude, for example) rather than sharp or hard; a good sense of drama (Kashchei makes a formidable entrance) but a certain lack of Slav luridness; a richly glowing crescendo to the final wedding scene; good, clear recording.”

CONDITION:

The gradations of condition I use are as follows: MINT, Near-Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

The condition of the jacket is VERY GOOD-. There is edgewear, more so at corners, as well as a few small chips and discoloration. However, there are no seamsplits, markings, or other defects, and the album remains solid, bright, glossy, and atractive – overall, a very good collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is near-MINT. Although surfaces are not absolutely silent (and thus I have rated it NM vs. MINT) this is a fine copy and playback is superb. If you must have perfect surfaces, then please do not buy this LP. Overall, this rates as a NM collector's copy.

PLEASE NOTE:
This LP has been carefully cleaned using a VPI cleaning machine. All LPs are provided with a new Nagaoka (or Nagaoka-style) inner sleeve. The images I've provided are of the actual item you are potentially bidding on - these are not stock images or images I've taken from other sites. Bid with confidence!

PAYMENT:
Payment by PayPal is greatly preferred. Payment should be made within 5 days.

SHIPPING:
Shipping is free to anywhere in the world; this is true regardless of the number of LPs you buy, be it 1 or a 100. All LPs will be sent via standard airmail (7-10 days delivery). Note: There is no tracking number provided with standard airmail. Should you wish to have your item(s) sent via certified airmail (i.e., with a tracking number), please contact me.

FEEDBACK:
I will promptly leave feedback for all buyers. Please do not leave negative, or even neutral, feedback without first giving me an opportunity to resolve any dissatisfaction you might have with an item or transaction. I do understand that, on occasion, a buyer might believe the item description to be inaccurate or that a buyer may be disappointed in some other way regarding the sale. I promise I will do my very best to resolve any unhappiness you've experienced in your buying experience with me to your complete satisfaction. Thank you.

REFUNDS:
Returns are honored, and any buyer you makes a return will be refunded in full. Please contact me before making a return.

Please see my other classical LP and CD auctions, and feel free to write with any questions, I'll be glad to help.