Szigeti/Arrau Beethoven Violin Sonatas Vanguard Audiophile LPs Nice Rare NR

$

30

J. Szigeti/C. Arrau Beethoven Violin Sonatas Vanguard Audiophile LPs

Vanguard 4-LP set VRS-1109/12

Here we have on offer a very nicely preserved 4-LP set of violinist Joseph Szigeti’s Vanguard LP recordings of his collaboration with pianist Claudio Arrau in Beethoven’s complete 10 sonatas for violin and piano, Vanguard VRS-1109/12. Arrau’s teacher had been a student of Liszt’s, and so Arrau was perhaps a more appropriate sonata partner for the ultra-serious Szigeti than even Schnabel might have been. These recordings were made in the Library of Congress in 1944; online references date their release on LP to 1963.

This particular set is the sixth item I am offering from a collection of approximately 2,000 classical LPs in singles and boxed sets that has been donated to our community library. Other items to follow. If you have particular “wants” (especially opera boxes) please let me know. The collection dates back to the early 1950s and is long on European rarities—I will shortly put up as one bulk lot 15 European 10-inch LPs and two 45-rpm classical EPs!

As far as I can determine, the music lover who assembled this collection might have been a US armed-forces service member stationed in Europe after the Second World War. This set, of course, is from the US label Vanguard, which was founded in 1955 by the Solomon brothers. Vanguard made both popular recordings, such as by the folk group The Weavers, as well as many classical recordings.

Popsike says the median price for this 4-LP set is $58 and that the mean is $66, with an outlier at $201. This is a no-reserve auction.

NOTES ON CONDITION AND DISCOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

I am selling this set to benefit the Knight Memorial Library in the North Elmwood neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The Friends of Knight Memorial Library have an inventory of approximately 4,000 used books, etc. for sale. Individuals donated many items such as this one, and so they are not “ex-library.”

To restate, this is NOT an ex-library item; it does not have a card pocket, library stamps or embossings, or a discard stamp. This set is one of the absolute “picks of the litter” of a music collection of approximately 1,300 items.

Of course, these photos are of the actual set for sale. Please examine the photos carefully. The set is I think in very good shape for a set that is approximately 50 years old that was owned by a music lover and not an LP collector. The bottom corners of the upper lid of the set box are scuffed through and slightly parted; there is some shelf wear, and a couple of dirt specks or scuffs, as shown in the photos. The booklet front has a visible fingerprint. That said, the cover is very shiny, and the spine gilt is still bright. A nice tight set!

One thing that might escape one’s notice that I want to point out is that two of the LPs have early-pressing maroon labels, while two have later beige labels(?); and also, two of the plain-paper inner sleeves are Vanguard grey, and two the the “catalog” variety, but those do not correspond to the label colors. FWIW & YMMV.

By the way, please check back for my current and upcoming auctions! We will be putting up, from the same donated collection some other very choice items including Rosalyn Tureck’s complete Decca Bach “Well-Tempered Clavier” (DX 127/128, 2 x 3-LP boxed sets), the Sándor Végh solo-violin Bach set, Rudolph Koelman’s rare d-minor Partita, etc. single LP recital (my hat is off to this collector!), and Artur Schnabel’s complete Beethoven sonata and concerto Angel deluxe slipcase sets, also in very nice shape.

PAYMENT AND SHIPPING

Insured US shipping in a Bags Unlimited 13 x 13 x 3-inch high-quality reusable LP mailing box will be $26, not $4. Please wait for my invoice. Foreign shipping will be billed at cost plus the cost of the box. We absolutely will not ship anywhere without insurance and door-to-door tracking and delivery confirmation. We realize that this may mean that shipping to foreign countries could therefore be prohibitively expensive.

After deducting eBay and Paypal charges and shipping costs, 100% of the net proceeds of this sale will support the programs of the Knight Memorial Library. That’s because the Friends group is run entirely by unpaid (but relentlessly cheerful) volunteers.

WHO IS THE RIGHT BUYER FOR THIS ITEM?

This music is to be heard on YouTube, and the CD version can be had from Arkivmusic.com. So, if this auction interests you, you must be both an LP lover and a serious classical music listener. Compared to the stratospheric prices the Szigeti and the French Sándor Végh solo Bach sets fetch, these original Szigeti/Arrau Beethoven LP recordings, judged by prevailing prices might actually be considered a bargain.

If you are just a window shopper here and don’t yet know Szigeti and Arrau’s Beethoven artistry, searching on YouTube along the lines of “Arrau & Szigeti play Beethoven - (1st mvt) Sonata No 9 in A” should bring up a good audio-only YT. And for those of you who have already spent $14,000 on a dedicated monophonic-playback phono cartridge: Damn the expense, this set is a no-brainer!!!

This is a no-reserve auction. If there is only one bidder, the marketplace is saying that it’s your lucky day. If there are two bidders: Please have at it for a good cause.

I think that that just about covers it.

THE FINE PRINT

Please pay within 3 days. PayPal only. I never go around behind eBay. In view of the totality of the circumstances this sale will be final, and there will be no returns or refunds.

Any question, please ask.

Please keep in mind that your purchase helps make important community-library programs possible!

All the best,

John Marks

# # #