Knappertsbusch: Die Meistersinger - Decca LXT 2659/64
$
195
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Description
This beautiful and rare 6 LP box set from Decca (LXT 2659-2664, Orange & Silver Microgroove Label, English Pressing, Mono) preserves Hans Knappertsbusch’s legendary reading of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – recorded 2-9 September 1950 (Act II) and 11 – 22 September 1951 (Acts I & III) in the Grosser Saal of Vienna’s Musikverein. The incomparable cast boasted Paul Schoeffler as Hans Sachs, Otto Edelmann as Veit Pogner, Hugo Meyer-Welfing as Kunz Vogelgesang, Wilhelm Felden, Karl Dönch as Sixtus Beckmesser, Alfred Poell as Fritz Kothner, Erich Majkut as Balthasar Zorn, William Wergnick as Ulrich Eisslinger, Hermann Gallos as Augustin Moser, Harald Pröglhöf as Hermann Ortel and the Night Watchman, Franz Bierbach as Hans Schwarz, Ljubomir Pantscheff as Hans Foltz, Günther Treptow as Walthar von Stolzing, Anton Dermota as David, Hilde Gueden as Eva, Else Schürhoff as Magdalene, the Staatsopernchor, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on resplendent form. Knappertsbusch is not always admitted to the pantheon of ‘greatest’ conductors, denied entry for an alleged waywardness, if not unevenness of achievement. But this is true of any conductor, and if in certain repertoire (Tchaikovsky’s Nutrcracker?) he was found wanting, elsewhere – and particularly in Wagner – his mastery was impregnable. It was in the opera pit that his re-creative powers burned most intensely, his long partnership with the VPO making for incandescent performances, nowhere more so than in this unforgettable account of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Added to that is a cast seldom equaled and never surpassed, a fabled catalog of great Wagnerian singers. Decca’s engineers were well up to the task, faithfully capturing the glowing acoustics of the Musikverein with no loss of presence or theater to stagecraft. This set is more often encountered in six separate LP’s jackets, sans box, but here the six separate jackets are housed in handsome, and very sturdy box. The condition of the box is A- (some wear and slight chipping to edges, darkening and discoloration to box ends; however, the album is without seamsplits, bends, nor owners’ markings and remains extremely solid and presentation-worthy, the fine laminate finish very much intact, the artwork still bright and colorful). The condition of the 6 inner jackets is near-MINT/A+ (all are without seamsplits, bends, nor owners’ markings and remain bright, tight, and glossy). The condition of the 6 LPs is A+ (clean and quiet surfaces). There is no libretto. One final caveat: the artwork is actually of an orange-ish hue, and not red, as reproduced in the color scan). All-in-all, very much a handsome collector’s copy of rare set in its most desirable pressing. If only they were all like this! I accept payment via PayPal, BidPay, check or money order (in USD) – however, payments involving money orders over $75.00 must be sent via registered or Express Mail – I will compensate for this added expense. Do not send cash. U.S. buyers pay @ $4.00 for Media Mail, $12.00 for 1st Class or Priority Mail (the packaged set would weigh over 5 lbs); for international buyers, shipping costs will be calculated by weight and destination country. Please email me with any questions, and see my other classical auctions.
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