Bernstein/VPO: Mahler Symphony No. 5 ("live") - DG 423 608-1

$

50

ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This beautiful and rare LP from Deutsche Grammophon (423 608-1, West German pressing, white circle label, DDD stereo, insert included) features Leonard Bernstein’s extraordinary account of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, recorded ‘live’ with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the spacious acoustics of the Alte Oper, Frankfurt am Main in September 1987 (producer: Hanno Rinke / recording supervision: Hans Weber / engineer: Karl-August Naegler).

The tracklist is as follows:

Part I

A1

Trauermarsch. In Gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie Ein Kondukt

14:30

A2

Stürmisch Bewegt. Mit Größter Vehemenz

14:57

Part II

A3

Scherzo. Kräftig, Nicht Zu Schnell

7:21

B1

Scherzo (II), Molto Moderato (Ziff. 11)

11:42

Part III

B2

Adagietto. Sehr Langsam

11:12

B3

Rondo-Finale. Allegro - Allegro Giocoso. Frisch

15:01

------------------------------

Wrote the outstanding critic Simon Vivien Schweitzer for The New York Times:

“Bernstein, who related strongly to Mahler’s angst, demonstrated a visceral empathy with his music. His live Deutsche Grammophon recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 5, conducting the Vienna Philharmonic just a few years before his death in 1990, illustrates the power of his Romantic, emotive approach. Bernstein harnessed the impeccable technique and glorious sound of the Vienna musicians in a performance full of demonic excitement, sweeping tragedy and blazing climaxes, with the velvet sound of the strings used to poignant effect in the famous Adagietto.”

------------------------------

And wrote the superlative critic Simon Thompson for MusicWeb-International:

“The other most easily recommendable performance is the Fifth. There is a wonderful sense of scale to the funeral march, helped by slow speeds and a troublingly insistent snare-drum rhythm. The second movement begins with, if anything, an even more vicious attack, though it loses momentum as the music progresses. The chorale theme, when it comes, is remarkably striking and its climax sails out over the orchestral texture. After it the rest of the movement seems to ebb (die?) away and the opening of the scherzo is less manic than one might have expected. Bernstein’s Adagietto is controversial for some, but not for me. I found it beautifully played and recorded, and perfectly paced; no self-indulgence or languor here. The finale begins a little slowly but picks up and builds on a rising tide of excitement to the reappearance of the brass chorale, sounding fantastic and providing a fitting culmination to one of this symphony’s most successful interpretations on disc.”

------------------------------

Incidentally, the striking cover art, entitled “Chant D’automne” was executed by Erté. There are extensive notes on the music in German, French, and Italian(by Volker Scherliess), as well as in English (by Andrew Clements).

CONDITION - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

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 some tiny minor wear at corners, as well as some very faint creasing and a small felt tip pen mark to the rear panel, but that is all. There are no seam splits, owners’ markings, bends, or other defects, and the jacket remains perfectly solid, bright, glossy, and highly attractive in appearance. Overall, this rates as an excellent collector’s copy.

The condition of the LP itself is EXCELLENT. Although the surfaces are not perfectly silent, really this is a fine copy and playback is superb, close to NM. If you must have a flawless or NM copy, then please do not buy this LP. 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.