Ansermet/OSR: Stravinsky Petrouchka - German Decca LXT 2502 (ED1) - magnificent

$

195

redgarnett Store ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This truly beautiful and rare LP from Decca (LXT 2502, German Teldec · Telefunken-Decca pressing, orange/gold label – ED1, mono – no stereo edition exists) features Ernest Ansermet's earlier recording with his own l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande of Stravinsky's Petrouchka, recorded in the rich acoustics of Geneva's Victoria Hall on 29/30 November 1949, one of the first great accounts of the LP era and still a landmark in the Stravinsky discography.

Ansermet knew the composer personally and this work had been a staple of his repertoire for over 30 years when he and the OSR set down this thrillling recording for Decca. This is an exalted performance, hypnotic from first to last vibrant and colorful – unforgettable!

In his review of the Australian Eloquence Decca CD re-issue of Ansermet’s early Stravinsky recordings, the eminent author and critic James H. North wrote for Fanfare:

“Ernest Ansermet and Igor Stravinsky were close friends for many years, before a slight disagreement drove a wedge between the two egotistical, high-strung artists. Fanfare ’s Richard A. Kaplan details the ups and downs of their relationship in his extensive notes to this set. Ansermet was the most faithful and consistent proponent of Stravinsky’s early music, with more premieres, performances, and recordings than even Pierre Monteux. The composer was most appreciative, but he did not like Ansermet’s soft, romantic way with his music. Yet their beauty increased Stravinsky’s popularity, whereas his own recordings—hard-driven and scrappy—pleased neither the critics nor the public. Only in 1940, with his classic New York Philharmonic recording of Le Sacre du printemps , did the composer finally succeed as conductor and interpreter of his own works. Ansermet and Stravinsky remain at opposite poles of (high-quality) performances of all his music. Decca has previously released most of Ansermet’s stereo Stravinsky, most notably in an eight-CD box, Stravinsky: Ballets, Stage Works, Orchestral Works , in 2002. Leave it to the enterprising Australian label Eloquence to bring us these earlier recordings, most of them in fine monaural sound.”

In lieu of liner notes, the reverse side of the jacket carries a listing of other Decca titles in this series. The striking cover design is uncredited.

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 EXCELLENT. There is small bit of laminate lift to the lower edge, as well as minor wear at corners and faint ringwear to the rear panel. However, there are no seamsplits, bends, or owners' markings and the whole remains perfectly very solid, bright, and glossy, the fine laminte finish immaculate, the striking artwork with a beautiful lustre – an excellent collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is EXCELLENT. Though there is occasional light surface noise, in general the playback remains quite fine. However, those wanting a flawless or near-MINT copy are kindly advised to look elsewhere. Overall, this rates as an excellent 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!

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