Sold Date: January 11, 2014
Start Date: November 16, 2013
Final Price: $37.95 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 3121
Buyer Feedback: 1

ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This beautiful gatefold LP – a truly fine copy – from EMI (EL 067-2701021, German Electrola pressing / DMM · Direct Metal Mastering, DDD stereo) features the young Anne Sophie-Mutter's beautifully sprung account of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, recorded in the warm acoustics of the Zeremoniensaal, Hofburg, Vienna in June 1984 with no less than Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Included then are these four concerti by Vivaldi:

Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons)

No. 1 in E Major "Primavera" RV 269

No. 2 in G minor "L'estate" RV 315

No. 3 in F Major "L'autumno" RV 293

No. 4 in F minor "L'inverno" RV 297

This was one of those very special occasions when solist, conductor, orchestra, and sound engineering all came together to produce a truly memorable recording – one imbued with a tremendous sense of occasion and brought off with great spontaneity, vibrancy, and beauty.

Of note to collectors: Karajan himself, along with Tim Read, is one of the two harpsichordists heard on this recording; the organist is Rudolph Scholz and the Concertmaster on this occasion was Werner Hink. EMI provides extensive notes, as well as Vivaldi's original poems, in German, English, French, and Italian – impeccable production values all-around.

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 minuscule wear at corners, the album appears almost as new – solid, bright, glossy, and very attractive – overall, a truly superb collector's copy. 

The condition of the LP itself is near-MINT. Although surfaces are not absolutely silent (and thus I have rated it NM vs. MINT) this is a fine copy and playback is superb. If you must have perfect surfaces, then please do not buy this LP. Overall, this rates as a NM 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!

PAYMENT:
Payment by PayPal is greatly preferred. Payment should be made within 5 days.

SHIPPING:
Shipping is free to anywhere in the world; this is true regardless of the number of LPs you buy, be it 1 or a 100. All LPs will be sent via standard airmail (7-10 days delivery). Note: There is no tracking number provided with standard airmail. Should you wish to have your item(s) sent via certified airmail (i.e., with a tracking number), please contact me.

FEEDBACK:
I will promptly leave feedback for all buyers. Please do not leave negative, or even neutral, feedback without first giving me an opportunity to resolve any dissatisfaction you might have with an item or transaction. I do understand that, on occasion, a buyer might believe the item description to be inaccurate or that a buyer may be disappointed in some other way regarding the sale. I promise I will do my very best to resolve any unhappiness you've experienced in your buying experience with me to your complete satisfaction. Thank you.

REFUNDS:
Returns are honored, and any buyer you makes a return will be refunded in full. Please contact me before making a return.

Please see my other classical LP and CD auctions, and feel free to write with any questions, I'll be glad to help.