Grumiaux/Klien: Mozart Great Violin Sonatas - Philips 412 141-1, lovely copy

$

450

PLEASE NOTE:

My store policy of providing a 15% refund to any customer who buys 2 or more items does not apply to this item. This is a stand-alone item. You are welcome to buy other items, but the 15% refund will not be applied to this sale, only to the other items you might buy.

ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This beautiful and extremely rare 5 LP box set – a lovely collector’s copy – from Philips (412 141-1, Dutch pressing, silver/red label, stereo, full-size 8-page booklet included) entitled “Mozart · The Great Sonatas for Violin and Piano” features violinist Arthur Grumiaux and pianist Walter Klien in sublime renderings of 15 of Mozart’s mature Sonatas for Violin and Piano – a landmark cycle in the Mozart discography and as fine an example of the art of the violin as one could wish to name. This is truly exalted playing by any measure, and what’s more, Philips has provided their finest analog sound, warm and well-balanced throughout.

Included then are the following works:

Violin Sonata in B-flat Major K. 454 – rec. April 1981

Six Variations in G minor for Violin and Piano on the French song “Au bord d’une fontaine” (Hélas, j’ai perdu mon amant) K. 360 – rec. September 1981

Violin Sonata in E minor K. 304 – rec. May 1981

Violin Sonata in F Major K. 376 – rec. April 1981

Violin Sonata in E-flat Major K. 302 – rec. May 1981

Violin Sonata in A Major K. 305 – rec. September 1981

Violin Sonata in A Major K. 526 – rec. May 1981

Violin Sonata in G Major K. 379 – rec. September 1982

Violin Sonata in E-flat Major K. 380 – rec. September 1982

Violin Sonata in G Major K. 301 – rec. April 1981

Violin Sonata in F Major K. 377 – rec. September 1981

Violin Sonata in C Major K. 303 – rec. May 1982

Violin Sonata in E-flat Major K. 481 – rec. September 1983

Violin Sonata in D Major K. 306 – rec September 1983

Violin Sonata in C Major K. 296 – rec. May 1982

Violin Sonata in B-flat Major K. 378 – rec. May 1982

All session were held in the warm, intimate acoustics of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Grumiaux's unfailingly beautiful tone and purity of intonation is allied to a supreme sense of architecture and an aristocratic yet graceful bearing. Even if you have another favorite set, there are so many felicitous touches and moments of insight throughout Grumiaux's cycle that it stands as one of the most majestic and highly individual accounts ever recorded – a landmark in these works' discographies. Moreover, he is afforded warm and vivid sound.

When there performances were issued on CD as part of Philips’ Complete Mozart Edition, the critic C.H. wrote in the September 1991 issue of The Gramophone: “The other four Philips discs are more interesting and Arthur Grumiaux and Walter Klien offer playing with spring in its step and a lyrical yet unsentimental warmth in the slow movements, though that of K296 might with advantage have lingered a little more. Maybe there could be more charm here, but better this than prettified Mozart and, make no mistake, these are stylish artists who are also eloquent in the unusually wistful Andante con moto of K380—as are Goldberg and Lupu, for that matter. They're also deft in the vivid first movement of K377 and offer a delicate charm in its minuet-finale, while the fine but tricky late Sonata, K526 is done with panache. These early 1980s recordings of Grumiaux and Klien (in a Swiss location) have a pleasing warmth, although they sometimes favour the violin.”

Incidentally, the striking cover design was executed by Top Cover, the photography done by Fernando van Teylingen. Included is a full-size 8-page booklet with extensive notes on the music by Hans Christoph Worbs – provided in German, English, and French.

CONDITION – PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY:

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

The condition of the box is near-MINT. The only flaw, very minor, is some light scuffing on the rear panel of the box. There is also some minuscule edgwear at corners, but really the box appears almost as new. There are no bends, seamsplits, or owners' markings and the box remains solid, bright, and glossy – overall, a very good collector's copy.

The condition of the full-size 8-page booklet is EXCELLENT. The only flaw barring a near-MINT grading concerns some minor underlining and notations (in pencil) to the German translation of the text. The booklet also betrays a very slight bit of handling, but overall almost appears as new – in any case, it rates as an excellent collector’s copy.

The condition of the 5 LPs is near-MINT throughout. There are no spindle trails and the discs plays superbly – overall, these LPs rate as truly fine collector's copy.

PLEASE NOTE:

The photos provided are of this actual copy – they are not stock photos or photos taken from another source – bid with confidence!

PAYMENT:

Payment must be made within 5 days of the auction's close. PayPal is greatly preferred; any bank transfers must be made to my bank in the USA, absolutely no exceptions (transfer must be made in dollars and the buyer is responsible for any and all fees). There are no other payment methods I will accept.

SHIPPING:

This particular item will be sent by certified airmail via the Spanish Postal System (with a tracking number). This will be paid by myself (the seller). I would prefer to insure it for the full amount. Those concerned about customs duties, please let me know, but given the value and rarity of this set, I personally prefer to insure it and declare full value. This set is extraordinarily rare, and I strongly doubt highly I will ever see another copy in my lifetime.

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 who makes a return will be refunded in full. On this particular item, the return must be initiated with 7 days of receipt of the LP. If returned, this item must be sent back in exactly the same manner - carefully packaged and sent by certified airmail (with a tracking number). The buyer bears the full cost of any and all return expenses. Please contact me 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.