COLUMBIA UK LP SAX-2404: Philharmonia Promenade Concert von Karajan, 1961 UK 1st

Sold Date: March 28, 2021
Start Date: September 20, 2020
Final Price: $399.99 (USD)
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Background -

The early Turquoise/Silver label Columbia SAX stereo series of LPs are some of the rarest and most valuable records on the planet. As such, they are truly “Holy Grail” items for serious classical music collectors. This is one such example, made in the UK, issued in stereo from 1961 in excellent collectors grade condition throughout featuring Herbert von Karajan conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra!
Herbert von Karajan was among the most famous conductors of all time -- a man whose talent and autocratic bearing lifted him to a position of unprecedented dominance in European musical circles. He was born on April 5, 1908 in Salzburg, Austria, to a cultured Austrian family of Greek descent (their original name was Karajannis). His musical training began at the Mozarteum Conservatory in Salzburg where he studied piano with Franz Ledwenke, theory with Franz Zauer, and composition with Bernhard Paumgartner, who encouraged Karajan to pursue conducting. Karajan graduated from the conservatory in 1926, and continued his studies at the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts, where he studied piano with Josef Hofman and conducting with Alexander Wunderer and Franz Schalk. Karajan's conducting debut came on January 22, 1929, with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg. Consequently, the young maestro directed a performance of Strauss' Salome at the Salzburg Festspielhaus, and was named principal conductor of the Ulm Stadttheater, where he remained in that capacity until 1934.

The next fourteen years saw the young conductor's reputation grow rapidly. He was named music director of the Aachen Stadttheater (1934-1942), had his debut at the Vienna State Opera (1937), and accepted a position with the Deutsch Grammophon Gesellschaft (1938-1943). In 1939, Karajan was appointed conductor of the Berlin State Opera, and director of the Preussiche Staatskapelle Symphony concerts. In 1948, he was appointed for life, to the position of director of the Chorale Society at the Society of the Friends of Music, in Vienna.

In 1948, Herbert von Karajan also served at the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and La Scala, before succeeding Wilhelm Furtwängler as the music director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra -- a union that would cement his reputation as one of the world's premier conductors. In 1955, Karajan brought that orchestra to the United States on the first of many international tours. The decade that followed saw Karajan accept several appointments, including those to the Salzburg Festival and the Vienna State Opera. In 1967, Karajan had his Metroplitan Opera debut, conducting a performance of Wagner's Die Walküre, and the same year, founded the Salzburg Easter Festival. In 1968, the Herbert von Karajan Foundation was founded to support the research of "conscious musical perception."

Herbert von Karajan was awarded the "Ring of the Province of Salzburg," Golden Grammophone, Arts Prize (Lucerne), Grand Prix International du Disque, Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society, German Golden Disc Prize, UNESCO International Music Prize, Olympia Prize of the Onassis Foundation, and multiple Grammophone awards, among others. He was elected to an honorary senate seat at the University of Salzburg. The maestro was also recognized with honorary degrees from a host of universities.

Karajan, along with Akio Morita and Norio Ohga (president and vice-president respectively, of Japanese Sony Group), unveiled and presented the Compact Disc Digital Audio System in 1981. In 1982, Karajan founded Telemondial S.A.M. with Uli Markle, in an effort to document the maestro's illustrious legacy on videotape and laser disc, and to help broaden the scope of "musical expression," through the use of modern technology. In 1984, Karajan recorded the complete Beethoven symphonies with film adaptation, made possible by his own Telemondial. In 1988, Deutsch Grammophone released a collection of one hundred "masterworks" recordings made by the conductor. Herbert von Karajan's discography is impressive to say the least, and will certainly endure in musical arenas, as some of the most valued interpretations of the repertoire available. Herbert von Karajan, often referred to as "general music director of Europe," died in Salzburg of heart failure July 16, 1989. - David Brensilver LP made by COLUMBIA UK // EMI Records, in the UK / England / Great Britain
 LP released in 1961
 LP is recorded in STEREO Record Catalog Number: SAX 2404 Record Labels are primarily TURQUOISE and SILVER with BLACK lettering (aka the first Columbia UK stereo label), with the COLUMBIA logo on the labels. This is the EARLIEST stereo version made by Columbia UK.
 This listing is for a very rare, out of print LP - an OPENED and in excellent overall condition LP PRESSED and ISSUED by COLUMBIA UK // EMI Records of a highly collectible title from their catalog - a superb title featuring the -

Philharmonia Promenade Concert // Herbert von Karajan

Music on this item -
A1. The Skaters - Waltz, Op. 183 - Composed By – Emil Waldteufel
A2. Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Op. 214 - Composed By – Johann Strauss II
A3. Radetzky March, Op. 228 - Composed By – Johann Strauss I
A4. "España", Rhapsody For Orchestra - Composed By – Emmanuel Chabrier
A5. Joyeuse Marche - Composed By – Chabrier
B1. Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324 - Composed By – Johann Strauss II
B2. Overture, Light Cavalry - Composed By – Franz von Suppé
B3. Polka From " Schwanda The Bagpiper “ - Composed By – Jaromir Weinberger
B4. Overture, Orpheus In The Underworld - Composed By – Jacques Offenbach
Performers / Other Information -
• Printed By – Garrod & Lofthouse
• Conductor – Herbert Von Karajan
• Liner Notes – William Mann
• Orchestra – The Philharmonia Orchestra
This is the first label issue. Labels are pale blue and silver.
• Matrix / Runout (Runout: Side A): YAX 657-2
• Matrix / Runout (Runout: Side B): YAX 658-5

CONDITION Details: The LP JACKET is in near mint minus overall condition! The jacket has NO seam splits. The corners and seams are solid with just some light shelf wear. The jacket has flipped over or "clam shell" seams at the top, spine and bottom and the front of the jacket is laminated with a clear plastic, otherwise known as "CLARI-FOIL". The colors on the jacket are sharp and clean! The LP is in near mint minus overall condition! There are NO serious marks on the vinyl. But it does have some light spider marks on the LP (caused by sliding the LP in and out of the inner sleeve) and perhaps a finger print or two. Most of the time, spider marks are not audible, but it really depends on the sensitivity of your audio gear. Considering the vintage of this LP, the vinyl looks near mint minus overall. However, this is not a new audiophile LP....some extraneous sound is inevitable and should be expected for a vintage LP. This LP retains much of the original gloss and sheen! There are NO serious spindle marks on the record labels either. A Short Note About LP GRADING - Mint {M} = Only used for sealed items. Near Mint {NM} = Virtually flawless in every way. Near Mint Minus {NM-} = Item has some minor imperfections, some audible. Excellent {EXC} = Item obviously played and enjoyed with some noise. Very Good Plus {VG+} = Many more imperfections which are noticeable and obtrusive.

For best results, always properly clean your LPs before playing them.

The LP is an audiophile quality pressing (any collector of fine MFSL, half speeds, direct to discs, Japanese/UK pressings etc., can attest to the difference a quality pressing can make to an audio system).

Do not let this rarity slip by!