Sold Date: March 1, 2015
Start Date: October 6, 2013
Final Price: $48.75 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 3414
Buyer Feedback: 41

ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This handsome LP from Columbia (33CX 1438, English EMI pressing, blue/gold label, mono – no stereo edition exists) features one of the truly great LPs from the Klemperer discograhy, his monumental renditions of Beethoven’s Grosse Fugue and Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue K. 546. Filling out the disc is his equally fine account of Mozart’s Serenata Notturna K. 239.

The exact discographic details are as follows:

Beethoven: Grosse Fugue Op. 133

Mozart: Adagio and Fugue in C minor K. 546

Mozart: Serenade No. 6 in D Major K. 239 “Serenata Notturna”

            Manoug Parikian, violin (1st Violin)

            David Wise (2nd Violin)

            Herbert Downes (viola)

            James Edward Merrett (cello)

All three recordings were made at EMI Studio No. 1, Abbey Road, London, in 1956. And all three are brilliant performances; for this listener Klemperer’s account of Mozart’s Adagio & Fugue K. 546 remains unsurpassed on record in its grave nobility – amazing from first to last.

Wrote the outstanding critic Christopher Howell for MusicWeb-International:

“The problems of Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge might not even exist as it unfolds seamlessly in Klemperer’s hands. All the stopping and starting are absorbed into a single, inevitable trajectory, rising steadily to the sublime conclusion. Fine as are so many of Klemperer’s Beethoven recordings, I wonder if this is not the greatest of them all. He really does sound born to conduct this work. Despite its early date the fine-sounding recording is stereo with good separation.

“He is also unsurprisingly suited to Mozart at his most proto-Beethovenian in the Adagio and Fugue. There is less variety of expression and dynamic shading than in the Beethoven – it’s all impressively massive and that’s that. But these doubts came to my mind only retrospectively after hearing the Serenades.

“I should state that I am not naturally resistant to Klemperer’s manner in Mozart. Back in the LP days I enjoyed his coupling of Symphonies 31 and 34 so much at a friend’s house that I bought my own copy straight away. A rehearing confirms its combination of grandeur with luminosity.

“The first two movements of the Serenata Notturna are gruffly vital though after a while I began to feel the music was being shaped with a blunt instrument. It was in the Finale, however, that I realized what was wrong. The upper strings are actually shaping their lines rather elegantly but down below is a doggedly even, un-phrased bass line, at times fractionally behind the beat, which becomes increasingly pervasive and ultimately bogs the whole thing down.”

Incidentally, on the reverse side of the jacket it states: “Cover photograph of Otto Klemperer’s hands resting on the score of the ‘Grosse Fugue’ by Lotte Meitner-Graf, London. There are also erudite and eloquent liner notes by the great Deryck Cooke, printed in English only.

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 minor bumping/wear at corners, as well as some shelfwear. However, there are no seamsplits, owners’ markings, or other defects, and the album remains solid, bright and highly attractive – in all, a very good collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is EXCELLENT. Although the surfaces are not absolutely silent, really this is a fine copy and the playback is enjoyable. Those requiring a flawless or near-MINT copy are kindly advised to look elsewhere. Overall, this is 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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REFUNDS:
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