Feinberg: Bach Well-Tempered Clavier: VSG D05268-73/D05106-11 (6 LPs in 2 sets)
$
1,495
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Description
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.
This extremely rare and beautiful 6LP box set from VSG* (D-05268-73 / D-05106-11, Soviet pressing [Moscow], early blue/white label – ED1, mono, sturdy cloth box) features legendary pianist Samuel Feinberg in deeply expressive and relevatory performances of the the 48 Preludes & Fugues comprising Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier Books I (BWV 846-869) & II (BWV 870-893), recorded in Moscow during the years 1958-1960.
With these two extremely rare and handsome box sets (3LPs each) from VSG* (D-05268-73 / D-05106-11, Soviet pressing [Moscow], early blue/white label – ED1, mono, two sturdy cloth boxes) one can have complete legendary pianist Samuel Feinberg in deeply expressive and relevatory performances of the the 48 Preludes & Fugues comprising Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier Books I (BWV 846-869) & II (BWV 870-893), recorded in Moscow during the years 1958-1960.
This is visionary Bach playing that can be spoken of in the same breath as those traversals of the WTC by Richter, Gould, Tureck, et al. In some ways, however, Feinberg really remains in a class of his own.
I cannot speak to all the different Soviet pressings of Feinberg’s WTC, but I can say that in this issue the sound has a warm, open ambience to it – one can clearly hear the hall or studio in which Feinberg recorded this extraordinary interpretation. Please see the “Condition” below.
Feinberg’s Well-Tempered Clavier is rather rare in any pressing; more so as a complete set (vs. individual LPs), and even rare yet in such an early pressing.
*Note: VSG stands for Vsesoyuznaya Studia Gramzapisy (or “All-Union Recording Studio”). Printed on the labels of the LPs, in addition to the Bach title/track information, are the words “Ministry of Culture of the USSR”.
Note: It should be pointed out that this set comes in two box expressly designed for for Feinberg’s WTC, and not a plain box. Both are cloth boxes of very sturdy construction. The liner notes, in Russian only, are printed on the inner side of the front box top of Book I.
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 two sturdy cloth boxes is VERY GOOD. The only real flaws concern visible shelfwear to the front artwork and edgwear (more so at corners). However, there are no corner breaks, seamsplits, bends, or other flaws, and the box remains perfectly solid and quite striking in appearance – overall, these rates as very good collector's copies.
I have carefully playgraded all 6 LPs and their condition, VERY GOOD overall, is as follows:
Visually, some labels show some wear around the spindle holes, but the text on all 12 labels remains legible and free of any markings. In addition, all 6 LPs show paper sleeve and hairline marks, some needle marks, and in a few instances, actual scratches.
In terms of sound, though surfaces are not silent, really these are solid copies and playback remains solid. There are a few momentary instances of distortion, occasional needle-like sounds, and perhaps 4 patches containing tics (none lasting more than 10 revolutions), but surface noise is not overly obtrusive and the performance sounds through wonderfully. Perhaps 4 of the 12 sides actually merit an EXCELLENT grading, but the rest VERY GOOD, and overall, I would conservatively grade the 6 LPs as VERY GOOD.
Thus, those wanting flawless or near-MINT copies are advised to look elsewhere. If you must have flawless, near-MINT, or even uniformly excellent LPs, then please do not buy this set. Overall, these rate as very good to excellent collector's copies.
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:
Payment by PayPal is greatly preferred. Payment should be made within 5 days.
SHIPPING:
Shipping is free to anywhere in the world; this is true regardless of the number of LPs you buy, be it 1 or a 100. This particular item will be sent via certified airmail (7-10 days delivery, with a tracking number).
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 you makes a return will be refunded in full. Buyer pays all return shipping costs and due to the value of this particular item, the 2 sets must be returned together via certified airmail - again, at the buyer's expense. Returns must be initiated within 2 weeks of receipt of the package (based on the post office's stated date of delivery). Please contact me before making a return or if you have any questions, I will be happy to help..
Please see my other classical LP and CD auctions, and feel free to write with any questions, I'll be glad to help.
