ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This handsome 2 LP gatefold set from Westminster (WG-8364/2, US pressing, pink label, stereo) features Pierre Monteux and the London Symphony Orchestra’s inspired account of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125 “Choral”, warmly recorded in the spacious acoustics of Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London, during 11-13 and 18 June 1962.

 

Monteux enjoyed an especially close and warm rapport with the LSO during the last decade of his life when this performane was recorded and conductor and orchestra were joined on this memorable occasion by the London Bach Choir and vocalists Elisabeth Soderstrom (soprano), Regina Resnik (alto), Jon Vickers (tenor), and David Ward (bass).

 

The last side offers a distinctive bonus: extensive rehearsal excerpts (running over 27 minutes) from Monteux's Westminster Ninth, a fascinating glimpse of a legendary conductor at work. Incidentally, the rehearsal sequence ends with a run-through of 'Le Marseillaise', which Monteux and the LSO were to present at concerts in Paris on 22 & 25 June 1962.

 

The exact track listing is as follows:

 

A1

Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso

 

 

15:49

A2

Molto vivace

 

 

11:45

B1

Adagio Molto e cantabile

 

 

14:43

C1

Presto - Allegro assai - final chorus from Schiller's "Ode To Joy"

 

 

25:15

C2

Orchestral Rehearsal

 

 

27:33

 

Although more readily associated with the French repertoire, Monteux himself felt closer to the Austro-Hungarian masters and his recordings of this literature are as commanding as they are instructive, his impeccable and unfailing sense of rhythm married to a complete grasp of the overall architecture – visionary conducting that sweeps all before it.

 

He was highly regarded not only by the orchestras who played under him, but also by the 20th Century composers whose works he championed, most notably Stravinsky, Ravel, and Debussy, as well as by such fellow podium colleagues and luminaries as Toscanini.

 

This remarkable recording was produced by R. Kurt List and engineered by Dr. Helmut Riessberger. The striking album design was executed by Tim Ritche, while the art direction was supervised by Stuart Kusher.

 

The interior panels of the gatefold jacket contain fascinating liner notes by the producer R. Kurt List, as well as the full texts to Schiller’s Ode, both in the original German and in English translation. In addition, the reverse side of the jacket carries an appreciation of Monteux’s artistry by Derrick Henry, printed in English only.

 

CONDITION:

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

 

The condition of the jacket is EXCELLENT. There is minor wear at corners, but that is all. There are no seamsplits, bends, owners’ markings, or other flaws, and the album remain solid, bright, and attractive – overall, an excellent collector’s copy.

 

The condition of the 2 LPs is near-MINT throughout and the playback in both is outstanding – overall, 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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