Lewenthal plays Scriabin - Westminster XWN 18399 - lovely copy, supreme rarity

$

88

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This beautiful and quite rare LP from Westminster (XWN 18399, US pressing, blue/silver script label, mono – no stereo edition exists) features the enigmatic and young firebrand Raymond Lewenthal in an incandescent all-Scriabin program, warmly recorded at Esoteric Studios, New York City, during 30 May to 5 June 1956. Lewenthal is completely inside Scriabin’s soundworld and his playing here can be spoken of in the same breath as that by Sofronitzky, Richter, Horowitz, and Ashkenazy – a mesmerizing recital from start to finish.

Lewenthal’s exact program is as follows:

Side 1

Fantaisie Op. 28

Vers la flamme Op. 72

Five Last Preludes Op. 74

Side 2

Twenty-four Preludes Op. 11

Incidentally, the gorgeous cover art was executed by Cynthia Pennell (design) and Nicholas Musi (photograph). There are superlative notes on the reverse side of the jacket, provided in English only, by Lewenthal himself.

CONDITION:

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. There is very light edgewear and a small catalog sticker to the rear panel, but really that is all. There are no seamsplits, bends, owners’ markings, or other faults, and the whole remains solid, bright, glossy, and highly attractive – overall, a truly fine 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!

PAYMENT:
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REFUNDS:
Returns are honored, and any buyer you makes a return will be refunded in full. 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.