Sold Date: October 20, 2020
Start Date: October 19, 2020
Final Price: $55.00 $45.00 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 4215
Buyer Feedback: 943

ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This handsome LP from French Columbia (FCX 839, French pressing, blue/silver label, mono) features Leonid Kogan's masterful rendition of Brahms's Violin Concerto in D Major Op. 77, recorded at EMI Studio No. 1, Abbey Road, London, on 22 February 1959 with Kyril Kondrashin conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra on truly magisterial form. Kogan plays Joachim’s cadenzas.

Wrote the critic R.F. in his review for the July 1960 issue of The Gramophone: “Of the four stereo versions of the Brahms Violin Concerto, the new Kogan shares top place with the recent Grumiaux disc. Kogan gives a romantic performance similar to Menuhin's though not, I think, quite reaching the heart of the music so successfully. But he is more realistically recorded. Menuhin, a shade too prominent on the mono, is almost too distant on the stereo and lacks a definite position; there seems too, to be some loss of quality on the violin itself.

“Kogan's instrument on the other hand is beautifully placed in the first movement, and sounds magnificent. As on the mono he appears to be a shade closer in the later movements, but not enough to matter. Szeryng by comparison has a hard quality that possibly suits his efficient but rather cold approach, and I do not think that this is a performance you would grow to love. Grumiaux on the other hand is at least as well recorded as Kogan, though his playing perhaps has not quite the same drive and penetration. I'm not sure I wouldn't sooner have the Menuhin mono disc than any of them.”

Incidentally, the liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket, in French only, were written by Jean-Jacques Normand. The striking cover photo of Kogan was taken by G. MacDominic,

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 light wear / discoloration along the open edge of the jacket and some ring wear to the rear panel, but that is all. There are no owners’ markings or other defects and the album remains solid, bright, and attractive – overall, an excellent collector's copy.

. Overall, this rates as an excellent collector's copy.

PLEASE NOTE:
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 let me know.

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 let me know 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.