Furtwangler/BPO: Brahms Symphony No. 4 - LVSM FALP 544 (ds), superb copy - rare

$

357

redgarnett Store ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This truly beautiful and exceedingly rare LP from La Voix de son Maitre (FALP 544, French pressing, red/silver semi-circle label / grooved, “baguette”-style jacket, dowel spine, mono) features conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s magnificent account of Brahms’s Symphony No. 4 in E minor Op. 98, recorded “live” at Titania Palast, Berlin, on 24 October 1948 – one of the great Brahms Fourths on record and a landmark in the Furtwangler discography.

The exact track list is as follows:

I. Allegro non troppo

12:45

II. Andante moderato

12:22

III. Allegro giocoso - Poco meno presto - Tempo I

6:28

IV. Allegro energico e passionato - Più allegro

9:47

Of Audite’s CD re-issue of this performance in their superb “Edition Wilhelm Furtwängler - The Complete RIAS Recordings” 13CD box set, the erudite and eloquent critic Henry Fogel wrote for Fanfare:

“This Brahms Fourth is also a rarity—having been issued only [on CD] by Tahra and by the Japanese Wilhelm Furtwängler Center. Once again, the sound quality here is superb—opening up our ears to the drama and thrust of this performance. There are some ensemble problems, but they do not detract from a performance of enormous momentum and cumulative power. The wartime Brahms Fourth may be even more dramatic, but the richer sound here makes this my own favorite of the Furtwängler recordings of this work.”

The matrix numbers are as follows:

Side 1: 2XRA 42-3N / M6 194430

Side 2: 2XRA 43-2N / M6 194431

Incidentally, the striking cover photo of Furtwangler is credited to Camera Press, London. There are insightful liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket by Fred Goldbeck, provided in French only.

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 near-MINT. Although there is minuscule wear at corners and mild discoloration, I have no hesitation in grading this 55-year-old+ album as NM. There are no seamsplits, owners' markings or other defects, and the whole remains solid, bright, and highly attractive – overall, an outstanding collector's copy.

The condition of the LP is near-MINT and playback is superb. Visually, there are faint spindle trails, but no scratches. In terms of sound, I will not say that surfaces are perfectly silent from beginning to end (thus, I have rated it as NM vs. MINT).  However, it is a truly fine collector's copy and I think its condition would not be easy to improve upon.

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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