Karajan/PhO: Beethoven 9th - 33 WCX 1391/92 - deluxe ed

$

115

ITEM DESCRIPTION:
This beautiful and very rare deluxe 2LP box set from German Columbia (33 WCX 1391/92 [C 90 515/516, German pressing, booklet included, mono – no stereo version exists) features a lavish issue of Herbert von Karajan's remarkable 1955 recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125 'Choral', produced by Walter Legge in Vienna at the Musikvereinsaal with the Philharmonia Orchestra on resplendent form, joined by the Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, and soloists Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano), Marga Höffgen (alto), Ernst Haefliger (tenor), and Otto Edelmann (bass).

A note about this set: the two heavy-pressing LPs are housed in an extremely sturdy cloth linen box, with handsome and colorful typesetting above a striking photo of Karajan on the front panel (see scan). Moreover, the set comes with an equally impressive full-size, heavy paper 4-page booklet with extensive notes on the music, a photo from the original recording sessions and the text to Schiller's Ode 'An Die Freude' (all in German).

There can be no doubt that this is the very finest and most beautiful pressing this historic recording ever received – truly special, as befitting such an exalted performance.

Wrote esteemed critic Robert Layton in the January 1990 issue of The Gramophone: " The names Philharmonia, Karajan and Legge made this an historic recording enterprise, but to these personalities must be added the fact that the LP record was then fairly new, stereo was just happening and, as Karl Schumann's accompanying note reminds us, Karajan's Beethoven, energetic, strongly rhythmical and deeply concerned with beauty of sound, was the antithesis of Furtwangler's, who died while this cycle was still incomplete. Of course, Toscanini had already instituted a highly precise, and some would say soulless, interpretative approach to Beethoven. The young Karajan was an admirer of Toscanini. He learnt from him that Beethoven's titanic strength could emerge equally well from performances that were accurate and objective but being an Austrian he shunned Toscanini's rigidity and ferocity.

"These Philharmonia performances represent Karajan's first attempt to formulate his own Beethoven style—it was to be a lifetime's search. They are still magnificent—brimming with youthful vitality but full, too, of those characteristic shafts of light turned on to Beethoven's scoring,...The crown of both cycles is the Ninth, with the quartet of soloists carefully chosen each time and the same choir in both. (My preference is for the 1955 quartet, mainly because the male singers are better [vs. the 1963 DG recording.)"

CONDITION:
The condition of the box is near-MINT. The flaws are few – a discreet 1 1/4" cut to the lower-right corner of the box (not a seamsplit, just a slight cut) and perhaps the slightest evidence of shelfwear. However, the box has no seamsplits, bends, or owners' markings and remains perfectly solid and presentation worthy, the whole extremely impressive, the artwork bright and colorful – a truly superb collector's copy.

The condition of the full-size 4-page booklet (notes in German only) is near-MINT. The pages are bright and crisp, the binding perfect.

The condition of the 2 LPs is MINT and both play without any defect whatsoever – again, beautiful collector's copies.

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. However, Registered Airmail is also available - please contact me for details (in general, this will cost $7.00).

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