Berliner Philharmoniker: rare limited edition album/book issued by BPO in 1962

$

195

redgarnett Store

ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This little-known and rare deluxe album/book – a lovely collector's copy – from the Berliner Philharmoniker in association with Deutsche Grammophon (9 101 A/B, German pressing, AH tulip label, mono, heavy cloth-bound book) entitled "Die Berliner Philharmoniker Unter Berühmten dirigenten" ("The Berlin Philharmonic Under Famous Conductors") was printed in September 1962 in celebration of the opening of the Philharmonie, the orchestra's new hall.

It was issued in a limited print run, possibly as a gift for for large donors. It is an impressive and very beautiful production, cloth-bound book with heavy boards enclosing @ 20 pages (on heavy paper) and a DG pressed LP of recorded excerpts from the various conductors who had led the orchestra. It measures 40 cm in length by 31.8 cm in width by 1.2 cm in thickness (or 14 3/4"  X 12 1/2" X 1/2").

The interior panels include a tribute to the BPO written by Dr. Carl-Heinz Mann, striking black-and-white portraits of all the conductors included herein, as well as glossy reproductions of their signatures and archival photos of the orchestra and their old hall, Die Alte Philharmonie.

An extraordinary one-of-a-kind memento, now nearly 50 years old, here in superlative condition, of one of the world's greatest orchestras.

PLEASE NOTE:

I am also selling the companion volume to this set: Ferenc Fricsay conducts Beethoven's "Eroica" with the Berliner Philharmoniker - simply search my store using the keywords "Ferenc Fricsay". In addition, there is a third listing where one can buy the two sets together at a reduced price.

The exact contents of the LP for this set are as follows – all performances with the BPO:

Wilhelm Furtwangler:

Scherzo (Mvt III) from Schumann's Symphony No. 4 in D minor Op. 120

(rec. at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Dahlem, Berlin on 14 May 1953)

Karl Böhm:

Allegro con spirito (Mvt I) from Mozart's Symphony No. 35 in D Major K. 385 "Haffner"

(rec. at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Dahlem, Berlin on 15 October 1959)

Eugen Jochum:

Largo (Mvt II) from Haydn's Symphony No. 88 in G Major

(rec. at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Dahlem, Berlin on 18 October 1961)

Lorin Maazel:
Allegro vivace (Mvt I) from Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 in A Major Op. 90 "Italien"

(rec. at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Dahlem, Berlin on 4 April 1960)

Herbert von Karajan:

Allegro con brio (Mvt IV) from Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major Op. 92

(rec. at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Dahlem, Berlin on 13 March 1962)

Igor Markevitch:

"The Great Gate of Kiev" from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel)

(rec. at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Dahlem, Berlin on 21 February 1953)

Ferenc Fricsay:

Allegro con fuoco (Mvt IV) from Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E minor Op. 95 "From the New World"

(rec. at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Dahlem, Berlin on 5 October 1959)

CONDITION:

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

The condition of the album/book is near-MINT. There are minor instances of discoloration to the exterior and to a few of the pages inside, but that is all. There are no owners' markings, bends, tears, or other defects, and the album remains perfectly solid, bright, and striking in appearance – overall, this rates as a fine collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is near-MINT and the playback is superb. There is a slight bit of surface noise in the Dvorak, but nothing to diminish true listening pleasure – overall, this rates as a fine collector's copy.