TEST PRESSING Lorin Maazel Gershwin Porgy and Bess Decca SET 609/11 180g 3-LP
$
67
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Description
ULTRA RARE AUDIOPHILE 3-LP TEST PRESSING: Gershwin: Porgy and Bess – Lorin Maazel / Cleveland Orchestra (Decca SET 609/10/11)
Condition: Vinyl is MINT (M) / Sleeve is NEAR MINT (NM)
Up for sale is an incredibly rare, definitive holy grail for opera and classical music collectors: the official 3-LP Box Set Test Pressing of the highly acclaimed 1996 heavy-vinyl reissue of Lorin Maazel’s legendary 1975 recording of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Widely considered the finest, most vibrant complete recording of this American masterpiece ever captured on analog tape.
Test pressings for these high-end audiophile series are produced in extremely limited quantities (typically only 5 to 20 copies worldwide) for strict quality control before commercial production. Mastered from the original analogue session tapes and pressed on 180g Virgin Vinyl, this copy represents the absolute earliest, cleanest sonic pull from the master lacquers.
💿 Album & Production Details
- Artist: Lorin Maazel (Conductor), Willard White (Porgy), Leona Mitchell (Bess), The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus
- Title: George & Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward – Porgy and Bess (Complete Opera)
- Label: Decca / Alto High Fidelity Reissue Series
- Catalog Number: SET 609/10/11 (3-LP Box Set / Sleeve)
- Format: 3 x 180g Heavyweight Vinyl / Test Pressing
- Country of Manufacture: Germany (Pressed from lacquers cut in London)
- Recording Info: Recorded in August 1975 at the Masonic Auditorium, Cleveland, USA. Engineered by the legendary James Lock and Colin Moorfoot. Produced by Michael Woolcock and James Mallinson.
✨ Audiophile Significance
- The Definitive Recording: Universally praised by the international press for its brilliant, electrifying sound and unmatched dramatic presence.
- Premium Analog Mastering: Lacquers cut in London by Tony Hawkins (assistant to the famous recording engineer Kenneth E. Wilkinson) using a Neumann VMS 80 cutting lathe.
- Superior Pressing: Processed and pressed in Germany using 100% Virgin Vinyl, ensuring an extraordinarily quiet noise floor and massive dynamic realism for the complex vocal and orchestral movements.
📊 Detailed Condition Grading (Goldmine Standard)
- Vinyl Condition: MINT (M). All three LPs are in pristine, unplayed condition. Factory-brilliant surfaces with absolutely no marks, hairlines, or scuffs. Flawless audio performance.
- Sleeve Condition: NEAR MINT (NM). The jacket/box art cover sheet is in beautiful, crisp, and clean condition with sharp corners and a perfectly intact spine. It has been handled with absolute archival care.
📦 Shipping & Handling
Worldwide shipping is available. The records will be professionally packed in a heavy-duty cardboard record mailer, with the vinyl removed from the sleeve during transit to prevent seam splits. Tracked and insured shipping is mandatory for this high-value collector's item.
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