Gitlis: Berg & Stravinsky Violin Concertos - Vox PL 10.760, superb copy

$

24

redgarnett Store ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This handsome LP from Vox (PL 10.760, US pressing, black/silver label, mono – no stereo edition exists) pairs two remarkable concerto performances by legendary violinist Ivry Gitlis.

The exact contents are as follows:

Igor Stravinsky: Violin Concerto (1931)

> with Harold Byrns conducting the Orchestre de L'Association des Concerts Colonne

(rec. at the Théâtre Pigalle, Paris, in June 1956)

Wrote the eminent critic Lionel Salter in his November 1956 review for The Gramophone:

“The Concerto makes too infrequent appearance in concert and radio programmes, and will probably be unknown to many musicians. Gitlis furnishes brilliant virtuosity—he has both brio and grace—and he is aided by Harold Byrns's exemplary orchestral accompaniment.”

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Alban Berg: Violin Concerto (1935)

> with William Strickland conducting the Pro Musica Symphony, Vienna

(rec. at the Konzerthaussaal, Vienna, in March 1954)

Of the Vox “Legends” CD re-issue of this recording, the eminent critic Jed Distler wrote for ClassicsToday:

“The disc opens with Gitlis’ searing 1953 Berg recording, which was widely admired upon its release (with little competition beyond Louis Krasner’s premiere recording) and won the Grand Prix du Disque in France.

“Gitlis’ playing style is neither for the faint of heart nor for lovers of the mellifluous playing of a Szeryng or Milstein. He is a force of nature, uninhibited, with a vibrant and sometimes wiry tone. These recordings put Gitlis right up front so every detail of his playing is vividly captured. The orchestras supporting him are definitely second-tier, detracting somewhat from the listening experience (the weak brass in the Berg and the weird Herb Alpert-like trumpet in the third movement of the Stravinsky are the main offenders). But in the spirit of re-discovering one of the great “forgotten” virtuosos, this disc is a welcome addition to Gitlis’ small but influential discography and at least should expand the cult’s membership.“

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And wrote the critic Rob Cowan of the Israeli-born virtuoso in the November 1993 issue of The Gramophone:

"Ivry Gitlis is a bigger name on the Continent than here, but his versatility (he's also a dab hand at jazz), virtuosity and interpretative boldness mark him out as totally unique. Gitlis is a violinist's violinist; talk to any prominent fiddler (including Kennedy) about 'the greats' and he or she will mention Gitlis in the same breath as Oistrakh, Kogan, Huberman, even Heifetz."

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There are authoritative liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket by John S. Weissmann, printed in English only. The striking cover design is uncredited.

Vox is too often regarded as a budget label, one offering thrift-edition performances to a wide audience, rather than “A” List recordings to the cognoscenti.  However, their catalog boasted any number of remarkable artists, Gitlis and Horenstein certainly among them. The Berg Concerto in particular is imbued with a dark, brooding atmosphere that is very compelling.

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 a small bump to the upper-right corner, and a few spots of mild discoloration, but that is all. Really, this is close to NM. There are no seamsplits, bends, owners’ markings, or other defects, and the album remains solid, bright, and highly attractive – overall, an excellent collector’s copy.

The condition of the LP itself is near-MINT. Though the surfaces are not perfectly silent (and thus I have rated it NM vs. MINT) this is a fine copy and playback is superb. If you must have perfect surfaces, then please do not buy this LP. Overall, this rates as a NM collector's copy.

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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