ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This beautiful 2LP gatefold set from Melodiya (C10 27429 001, Soviet pressing, cream label, stereo) entitled “Gems of Foreign Miniatures” features conductor Evgeni Svetlanov and the USSR Symphony Orchestra in a captivating program of orchestral showpieces, recorded in Moscow during the years 1975-1985.

 

Among the many remarkable aspects of these performances is the singular fact that all were recorded “live” in concert. Besides such standard fare as excerpts from Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances and Brahms’s Hungarian Dances, are other  unexpected selections – the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, which receives an expansive and beautifully rapt reading under Svetlanov’s mastery direction. The sound throughout is absolutely first rate – stunning.

 

The exact contents are as follows, with timings shown in parenthesis:

 

Side 1

J.S. Bach: Air from the Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major BWV 1068 (5:14)

 

Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor (2:19)

 

Richard Wagner: Lohengrin – entr’acte to Act III (2:44)

 

Christoph Willibald Gluck: Melodie, from Orfeo ed Euridice (3:58)

> with Marina Vorozhtsov (solo flute)

 

Felix Mendelssohn: Wedding March, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream Op. 61 (4:37)

 

Georges Bizet: Overture to Carmen (2:12)

 

* the above selections recorded “live” at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory during 1980-1984

 

 

Side 2

Jean Sibelius: Valse Triste Op. 44 No. 1 (5:25)

 

Paul Dukas: Sorcerer’s Apprentice (10:35)

 

Franz Liszt: Nocturne “Rêves d’amour” (6:44)

 

* the above selections recorded “live” at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in 1982

 

 

Side 3

Edvard Grieg: Solveig’s Cradle Song, No. 2 from 4 Songs Op. 9 (4:53)

> with Galina Pisarenko (soprano)

 

Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte (7:22)

 

Heitor Berlioz: Marche hongrois, No. 3 from the Dramatic Legend La Damnation de Faust (5:04)

 

* the above selections recorded “live” at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory during 1975-1985

 

 

Side 4

Antonin Dvorak: Slavonic Dance in E minor Op. 72 No. 2 (5:58)

 

Gustav Mahler: Adagietto, from the Symphony No. 5 (10:45)

 

Camille Saint-Saëns: The Swan, from The Carnival of the Animals (3:40)

> with Yuri Loevsky (cello)

 

* the above selections recorded “live” at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory during 1982-1985

 

Incidentally, the striking cover photo of Svetlanov was taken by B. Levitsky. The interior panels of the gatefold jacket contain title listings and brief notes in both Russian and English.

 

CONDITION:

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

 

The condition of the gatefold jacket is near-MINT. Aside from some mild ringwear to the rear panel, the album appears almost as new. There are no seamsplits, owners' markings, bends, or other defects, and the whole remains solid, bright, glossy, and highly attractive – overall, a very fine collector's copy.

 

The condition of the 2 LPs is near-MINT throughout. Although surfaces are not absolutely silent (and thus I have rated it NM vs. MINT), really these are very fine copies and playback is truly superb across all 4 sides. However, if you must have absolutely perfect surfaces, then please do not buy this set. Overall, these rate as truly fine collector's copies.

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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