COLUMBIA UK LP SAX-2259: Beethoven Sonatas 9,10,13,14 GIESEKING, 1961 UK Blu/Sil

Sold Date: April 4, 2021
Start Date: May 16, 2019
Final Price: $399.99 $320.00 (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 outstanding collectors grade condition throughout - jacket and vinyl are near mint!

It was with the repertoire of French masters that the German pianist Walter Gieseking became most famous. The impressionistic piano writing of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel required the most sensitive touch and attention to color and nuance, and Gieseking's finger acuity, imaginative pedaling, and above all, preternaturally alert ear made him an ideal interpreter of this music. Nevertheless, his own repertoire ranged widely across eras and national boundaries.

Largely self-taught as a pianist, Gieseking was born in Lyon, France, on November 5, 1895; with his family (his father was a distinguished doctor and entomologist), he traveled in France and Italy until he enrolled at the Hannover Conservatory, where he came under the tutelage of Karl Leimer, making his debut in 1915.

Gieseking was drafted into the German army a year after his first public performance but escaped combat by performing in his regimental band. After the war, he undertook the the life of a working musician, accompanying singers and instrumentalists, playing in chamber music ensembles, and working as an opera coach. He could hardly avoid the heady artistic atmosphere of post war Germany, and he became an advocate of new music, playing works by Schoenberg, Busoni, Hindemith, Szymanowski, and Pfitzner, whose Piano Concerto he premiered under Fritz Busch in 1923. Subsequent debuts in London (1923), the United States (1926, Aeolian Hall, New York), and Paris (1928) were highly acclaimed, with audiences and critics responding enthusiastically to Gieseking's subtle shadings and contrapuntal clarity.

The Second World War brought controversy to Gieseking: like many other artists who remained in Germany during hostilities, he was accused of collaborating with the Nazis. His 1949 Carnegie Hall engagements caused such an uproar that they had to be cancelled; but he was eventually cleared of all charges by an Allied court in Germany. His concert career resumed with the success it had formerly enjoyed. To this activity he added a heavy schedule of recording, committing to disc the complete solo piano music of Mozart and the Beethoven concertos, as well as complete sets of Debussy's and Ravel's piano works. At the time of his death in London (October 26, 1956), Gieseking was engaged on a project to record all the Beethoven piano sonatas. His recordings of Debussy and Ravel are regarded as benchmarks for every subsequent performer.

Gieseking's autobiography, So wurde ich Pianist, was published posthumously in 1963; it seems never to have been translated into English. - Mark Satola
 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 2259 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 rare, out of print LP - an OPENED and in Near Mint minus condition LP PRESSED and ISSUED by COLUMBIA UK // EMI Records of a highly collectible title from their catalog - a superb title featuring -

Beethoven // Walter Gieseking

LP Title & Music on this item -
Sonata No. 9 In E Major, Op. 14 No. 1
A1.a First Movement: Allegro
A1.b Second Movement: Allegretto
A1.c Third Movement: Rondo (Allegro Comodo)

 Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14 No. 2
A2.a First Movement: Allegro
A2.b Second Movement: Andante
A2.c Third Movement: Scherzo (Allegro Assai)

 Sonata No. 13 In E Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 1
B1.a First Movement: Andante - Poco Meno Mosso - Allegro - Tempo I
B1.b Second Movement: Allegro Molto E Vivace - Trio
B1.c Third Movement: Adagio Con Espressione - Allegro Vivace - Tempo I - Presto

 Sonata No. 14 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ("Moonlight")
B2.a First Movement: Adagio Sostenuto
B2.b Second Movement: Allegretto
B2.c Third Movement: Presto Agitato - Adagio - Presto Agitato
Performers / Credits and Other Information -
• Printed By – Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.
• Made By – Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.
• Copyright (c) – Burnett James
• Record Company – E.M.I. Records Limited
• Record Company – Columbia Graphophone Company Ltd.
• Composed By – Beethoven
• Piano [Piano Solo], Soloist [Piano Solo] – Walter Gieseking
• Sleeve Notes – Burnett James
• Has the early turquoise/silver labels with a tax code "O W T" embossed under the side 1 label. 
• The UK tax code "OT" was introduced in 1961. The "O" was added on top of the existing "W T" code. 
LABELS: 
- The labels show the wrong track list, sides 1 and 2 are swapped 
- "Made in Gt. Britain" at bottom 
- "Columbia Graphophone Company Limited" in rim text 
SLEEVE: 
- Laminated on front only 
- Three-way flipbacks (seams and spine)
- Has a gold stereo sticker on front 
- Sleeve notes in English on back 
- "◀S▶" on spine 
- "Notes © Burnett James, 1958" 
- "Made and Printed in Great Britain" 
- "Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. Patents pending”  - Comes with the original INNER SLEEVE
OTHER INFORMATION: 
- Labelography code: ES1 
- Corresponding mono issue has cat# 33CX 1519 
- Sub tracks are not banded on vinyl 
- The title appears this way on the spine
• Matrix / Runout (Runout side 1, stamped): YAX 94-20 H 1 2 4
• Matrix / Runout (Runout side 2, stamped): YAX 95-9 P 2
• Matrix / Runout (Matrix on label, side 1): YAX94
• Matrix / Runout (Matrix on label, side 2): YAX95
• Other (Tax code, embossed under label, side 1): O W T

CONDITION Details: The LP JACKET is in near mint minus condition! The jacket has NO seam splits or crushed corners. The corners and seams are solid with just some very light shelf wear. The jacket has flipped over seams at the top, spine and bottom and the front of the jacket is covered in clear plastic, otherwise known as "CLARI-FOIL". The back of the jacket has a small blue information stamp. The colors on the jacket are sharp and clean - just a beautiful copy! The LP is in near mint minus condition. We found that the vinyl looked superb on this vintage LP! There are some very light marks on the vinyl (spider marks, nothing serious) and the LP retains much of the original gloss and sheen. This item comes with the original inner sleeve. One of the record labels has a small blue information stamp on it. The vinyl may have a bit of dust and perhaps a finger print or two on the vinyl so it should be cleaned before playing for best results. There are NO serious spindle marks on the record labels.
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).

Don't let this rarity slip by!!!