ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This beautiful and quite rare 4LP cloth box set from Deutsche Grammophon (LPM 18451/54, German pressings, AH large tulip labels, mono – no stereo editions exists, large full-size 34-page booklet included) features Eugen Jochum and the Berlin Philharmonic's glowing cycle of the complete Brahms Symphonies, taped in the rich acoustics of Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin-Dahiem, one of the truly great traversals on record.

 

Wrote the eminent critic Robert Layton in the February 1997 issue of The Gramophone:

 

"Of the two cycles conducted by Eugen Jochum I rather prefer the two-CD set with the Berlin Philharmonic dating from the 1950s, as did he, for although it is obviously not as well recorded as the LPO set made in the 1970s, the performances have a glowing radiance that transcends their sonic limitations, which as RC [Rob Cowan] indicated, are surprisingly few."

 

A note on this particular pressing: DGG pulled out all the stops for this cycle, issuing it in a heavy cloth box. Even more impressive is the full-size, 34-page booklet with a biography of Brahms by Hortensia Weiher-Waege, a discussion of his 4 Symphonies by Klaus Wagner, an appreciation of Jochum's artistry, and several full-page portraits of composer and conductor. The striking cover design was executed by Frau Maria Fellinger.

 

The complete contents of the set are as follows:

 

Symphony No. 1 in C minor Op. 68

 

 

 

I – Un poco sostenuto; Allegro

 

 

13:43

II – Andante sostenuto

 

 

9:35

III – Un poco allegretto e grazioso

 

 

4:49

IV – Adagio; Allegro non troppo

 

 

16:56

(rec. 11 December 1953)

 

 

 

 

Symphony No. 2 in D Major Op. 73

 

 

I – Allegro non troppo

 

 

14:59

II – Adagio non troppo

 

 

10:06

III – Allegretto grazioso

 

 

5:39

I – Allegro con spirito

 

 

8:16

(rec. 24 March 1951)

 

 

 

 

Symphony No. 3 in F Major Op. 90

 

 

I—Allegro con brio

 

 

10:00

II—Andante

 

 

9:21

III—Poco allegretto

 

 

6:09

IV—Allegro

 

 

8:58

(rec. 17 April 1956)

 

 

 

 

Symphony No. 4 in E minor Op. 98

 

 

 

I – Allegro non troppo

 

 

12:30

II – Andante moderato

 

 

12:05

III – Allegretto giocoso; Poco meno presto

 

 

6:01

IV – Allegro energico e passionato; piu allegro

 

 

9:51

(rec. 7 December 1953)

 

 

 

 

PLEASE NOTE:

This is only third copy of this I have encountered – it is quite rare – and this copy is by far the finest, in terms of condition. This set is also quite heavy. Packaged for shipping it will exceed 2 kg in weight, meaning that outside of Europe it will cost nearly $45 to ship by airmail. This has been factored into the list price. Please keep this in mind when making a best offer.

 

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 minor wear and discoloration along the edges, but really that is all. There are no corner breaks, bends, seamsplits, or other defects and the box remains extremely solid and presentation worthy. It can stand vertically on its own without falling open or tipping over – overall, an excellent collector's copy.

 

The condition of the large 34-page full-size booklet is EXCELLENT. There is some creasing and edgwear to the front cover, but that is all. The pages remain crisp, are free of any markings, and the binding is perfectly solid.

 

The condition of the 4 LPs is near-MINT. Visually, there are hairline marks, but these are non-sounding. In terms of sound, though the surfaces are not absolutely silent (and thus I have rated it NM vs. MINT) these are fine copies and playback is superb. If you must have flawless surfaces, then please do not buy this set – these rate as NM 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!

PAYMENT:
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SHIPPING:
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REFUNDS:
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