Reiner/CSO: Beethoven 9th - French RCA (2LP box set)
$
85
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Description
ITEM DESCRIPTION:
This beautiful 2LP box set, in stereo and equivalent to the U.S. LSC-6096 Shaded Dog, from French RCA (640.800-8001, French pressing, original red/silver 'Living Stereo' label) features Fritz Reiner's commanding accounts of Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1 and 9.
A note about this set: This is a lovely 2LP box set, with handsome gilt lettering to the spine, a fine laminated finish to the front panel and quite striking artwork and typesetting. Included is a full-size 4-page booklet reprinting Louis Biancolli's original notes, as well as the words to Schiller's Ode and brief biographies of Reiner and the vocal soloists (all in French only).
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125 'Choral' was recorded at Orchestra Hall in 1961 with Reiner leading the CSO, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a distinguished line-up of soloists: soprano Phyllis Curtin, alto Florence Kopleff, tenor John McCollum, and bass Donald Gramm.
Wrote Richard Osborne in the July 1994 issue of The Gramophone: "Admirers of the late Fritz Reiner will no doubt be gratified by a further appearance on CD of his 1961 Chicago Ninth. The performance has an astonishing clarity and beauty of sound that the RCA engineers have managed to capture and preserve with an almost insolent ease. If nowadays one despairs of hearing so well recorded a Ninth it must be down to the fact that we no longer have conductors around like Reiner."
The Symphony No. 1 in C Major Op. 21 was also recorded at Orchestra Hall, Chicago in 1958 – lithe, bouyant, and vital – a wonderful reading.
Stravinsky called the CSO "the most precise and flexible orchestra in the world" and after hearing these extraordinary Beethoven performances under Fritz Reiner was is apt to agree. Both are thrilling listening experiences, capturing conductor and orchestra on peak form and in exceptionally vivid sound – simply magnificent.
CONDITION:
The gradations of condition I use are as follows: MINT, Near-Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.
The condition of the box is EXCELLENT++. There is slight edgewear, more so at corners. However, the box is without seamsplits, bends, or owners' markings and the remains extremely solid and attractive, the fine laminate finish perfectly intact, the whole solid, bright, and glossy. The gilt lettering to the spine is clearly legibile andbright. All-in-all, an excellent collector's copy.
The condition of the full-size 4-page booklet is VERY GOOD. It does show some signs of handling (minor creasing, etc.), but is free of any tears or owners' markings.
The condition of the 2 LPs in EXCELLENT throughout. There are faint spindle trails, and the surfaces are not always CD silent, but in general the playback on both discs is superb - again, excellent collector's copies.
PLEASE NOTE:
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 7 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), then please pay the optional $5.00 'insurance' fee. I will ship items within 4 days of receiving payment and I will send an email confirming shipment, including any relevant tracking information.
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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.
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