Beethoven: Violin Sonata Op.96 - Reel-To-Reel Tape 1/4 Inch 15IPS AS NEW/MINT

$

359

Beethoven: Violin Sonata Op.96 & Enescu: Op. 25 - David Abel (violin) and Julie Steinberg (piano) - REEL-TO-REEL TAPE, 1/4 INCH 15IPS - Hands down, my favorite Wilson Audiophile recording reissued by Analogue Productions. Unbelievably GREAT recording, particularly the piano, an instrument that is notoriously difficult to capture realistically on record (my reference for this is Analogue Productions' outstanding 180gm single LP edition; I can only imagine how great the 15IPS tape version will sound!).  
ABOUT REEL-TO REEL TAPE: A few years ago I thought that I would invest in a serious Reel-To-Reel tape deck that could offer audiophile-grade 15IPS tape playback. Owing primarily to space limitations, I never purchased that tape deck. However, over time I did acquire a handful of extraordinary releases based on the assumption that I should grab the software while it was available, and acquire the hardware at the appropriate time. As I've abandoned the hope that I'll have 15IPS tape playback in my listening room, I will be selling the tapes over the coming weeks.
Each of these titles are "AS NEW." NONE of them have ever been played or taken out of their boxes. All of them have been stored in a climate controlled, smoke free environment. 
These tapes are being sold "AS IS." If you know the marketplace, you're aware of the fact that these titles retail at $450 or more. The low opening bid of $200 (NO reserve!) reflects that I'm A-OK with the fact that any potential losses on my part are very much the bidder's gain. I'd rather these tapes find a happy home where they'll be played. 
ANALOGUE PRODUCTIONS PROMOTIONAL DESCRIPTION ABOUT THIS TITLE:
Analogue Productions Ultra Tape reel-to-reel reissues! Twelve masterpiece titles, each a 15 ips, ¼-inch 2-track (½ track) analog tape copy Sourced from original master tapes Transferred using ATR-modified Ampex Tape Machine with flux magnetic heads Custom slipcase cover - highest quality tape reissue! From Acoustic Sounds, Inc., the world leader in audiophile music sales, comes the highest quality analog reel-to-reel tape album reissues — Analogue Productions Ultra Tape! Twelve masterpiece titles are featured in this new reissue series, each a 15 ips, ¼-inch analog tape copy (IEC equalization) sourced from a copy of the original analog master tape. Transferred real-time, using an ATR-modified Ampex Tape Machine with flux magnetic heads. Custom slipcase cover. The first two titles — Janis Ian's Breaking Silence and Ben Webster's Gentle Ben are releasing before 2016 ends.
On this recording of Beethoven: Violin Sonata Op.96 & Op. 25 we hear David Abel, violin, Julie Steinberg, piano. This composition occupies a special place among Beethoven's creations because it shows a unique quality: there is an Olympian elegance, a profound gentleness that pervades the entire work. Nowhere does Beethoven the earth shaker appear. Even the scherzo movement does not disturb this sustained thoughtfulness.
Violin and piano begin trading short thematic statements in quick exchange from the first notes of the first movement. Parallel arpeggios create a growing intensity. The middle section of the movement is characterized by abrupt modulations and an increased pace of exchanges. A striking procedure is the use of a seemingly interminable trill, nearly heart­stopping in its intensity.
The second movement, Adagio expressivo, one of Beethoven's floating Adagios, is based on the compulsion of a slow intense bass movement. The serenity of this movement is not disturbed by elaborate decoration from both instruments. And this stillness is further emphasized by a fourteen measure repeating pedal point (nearly one fifth of the movement) which closes it. The Scherzo sustains the serious character of the entire work. The last movement begins not only with a quick alternation of themes between the violin and piano, but a soft and loud alternation, as well, which adds to the feeling of growing intensity. An interrupted rondo is the plan, but the interruptions are of a major kind: another sensuous adagio and a daring fugato lead to a presto outburst concluding the movement.
David Wilson had already recorded piano by the time he began working with world-class musicians Steinberg and Abel in the Mills College Concert Hall in Oakland, California, though it was the first time he recorded a violin. Experimenting with different microphone positions in an attempt to capture what he calls the "delicious geometry" of sound emanating from Abel's Guarneri and Steinberg's Hamburg Steinway D, he ended up hanging his Schoeps CMC-36 microphones from a ladder high above the instruments. Of the results, he says, "I'd put the recording up against any chamber music recording. It has to be my favorite."
Reached at their home in Oakland, Steinberg and Abel, whose trio with percussionist William Winant has commissioned music from the likes of John Harbison, Lou Harrison, Paul Dresher, Somei Satoh, and Gordon Mumma (for starters), reminisced about their time with Wilson.
"The session was free of the time pressure and tension that can really get in the way of the final outcome," says Abel. "If we wanted to stop for a bite, or go outside to rest for a while, that was not a problem... Dave kept open to what was happening in the moment, as in a concert. He understood about not making a 'perfect' recording, and instead left the small imperfections... that make the final result sound human and real. One could not ask for better."

ABOUT SHIPPING AND HANDLING: Please note there is a $5 fee included in Ebay's estimate of Media Mail shipping costs. I believe the best way to ship an LP includes a 13"x14"x3" "pizza" style box, 12"x12" cardboard flats, outer shopping bag, and bubble wrap. The shipping boxes alone cost me over $3 each, and the average total cost of shipping materials is around $4.72, so this is NOT a money-maker for me. However, it does ensure, consistently, that these high value LPs arrive safely. Please check my feedback and I think you'll see that buyers appreciate the care with which these precious artifacts are handled.

COMBINED SHIPPING: I am more than happy to combine shipping. Ebay buyers pay the actual postage costs. If a single LP is purchased, the buyer pays actual postage and $5 for shipping materials. If two LPs are purchased, the buyer pays actual postage and $5 for shipping materials. If three or more LPs are purchased, the buyer pays actual postage and $0 for shipping materials (I will absorb the cost of materials). As the final amount can only be calculated after auctions have ended, I will issue the appropriate refund on the day the LPs are shipped.

About Me: I'm a long time Ebay buyer intent on selling a significant portion of my LP collection over the next year or two (or three!). I believe in the auction process, so I'm NOT going to list records at absurdly high prices, and I look forward to getting rare, out of print records into the hands of music lovers, record collectors and audiophiles (I consider myself all of the above). All LPS stored in a smoke-free, climate controlled environment. 

Please check my feedback and BID WITH CONFIDENCE. Also, please take a look at other items I'm listing (new items will be listed on Sunday and Wednesday nights), and good luck! 

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