Rosita Renard In Memoriam 2LP box set - extreme rarity

$

448

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.

ITEM DESCRIPTION:

This beautiful 2 LP box set entitled "In Memoriam Rosita Renard" – one of the great piano rarities – preserves legendary Chilean pianist's Rosita Renard's 19 January 1949 Carnegie Hall recital. Issued by "La Sociedad de los Amigos de la Musica ('Society of Friends of Music') Bogota, Columbia, America del Sur" this was the first occasion that this remarkable concert was issued on LP, bearing the catalog / stamper numbers XTLP 11425/6/7/8.

Released in 1956 It bears the notation "Second Edition". However, collector's should know that the First Edition, released in 1949, was on 78 rpm discs. Thus, this is the "first edition" on LP. It is also worth noting that the set was very handsomely produced, using the 'long box' sometimes employed by Columbia Masterworks, with the interior fixed dowel holding the 2 jackets. I believe the Second Edition was pressed in the USA, but I am not certain of this.

Also included is a 10-page booklet that contains several appreciations of her artistry, written by various critics around the world: Arturo Romay (in Argentina), Adolfo Salazar (in Mexico), Wolfgang Stresemann (in New York City), Howard Taubman (NYC), and New York Times critic and author of The Great Pianists Harold C. Schonberg.

REPERTOIRE INCLUDED IN THIS 2LP BOX SET:

Included in Renard's extraordinary Carnegie Hall recital (and on this set) are the following:

Bach: Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major BWV 825

Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor K. 310

Mendelssohn: Variations Serieuses for Piano in D minor Op. 54

Mozart: Rondo for Piano in D Major K. 485

Chopin: Etude in E-flat Major Op. 10 No. 11

Chopin: Etude in E minor Op. 25 No. 5

Chopin: Etude in E Major Op. 10 No. 3 "Tristesse"

Chopin: Etude in D-flat Major Op. 25 No. 8

Chopin: Etude in A minor Op. 25 No. 4

Chopin: Etude in A minor Op. 10 No. 2

Chopin: Mazurka in C-sharp minor Op. 30 No. 4

Mendelssohn: Prelude in B-flat Major Op. 104a No. 1 (encore)

Chopin: Etude in F minor Op. 25 No. 2 (encore)

Chopin: Etude in F Major Op. 25 No. 3 (encore)

Chopin: Etude in C-sharp minor Op. 10 No. 4 (encore)

Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales

Debussy: Tarantelle styrienne "Danse"

Chopin: Mazurka in F-sharp minor Op. 59 No. 3 (encore)

The superb writer on music Leslie Gerber (former proprietor of the sorely missed Parnassus Records LP dealership) has written of Renard: "Renard has one of the sparsest discographies of any major pianist. Although she played several times in the U.S. and Europe, she concentrated most of her career in Chile, where she recorded a handful of 78s for Victor and Brunswick. During World War II she was discovered by the conductor Erich Kleiber, and in 1949 she performed in New York, at Carnegie Hall, for the first time in more than two decades. Her concert was a great success, and she returned to Chile to prepare for a U.S. tour. But she contracted encephalitis, and died at the age of 53.

"Fortunately, Renard’s final Carnegie Hall recital was recorded. It was originally issued in a limited LP edition by the Society of Friends of Music of Bogota, then reissued by International Piano Archives. Its current edition on CD, VAI Audio VAIA/IPA 1028-2, is supplemented by a generous selection of Renard’s 78s.

"The recital shows a great pianist on the very highest level. She plays Bach’s Partita No. 1 and Mozart’s Sonata in A Minor, K. 310, very swiftly and cleanly, and with tremendous drama. Her Chopin Etudes are breathtaking. This is, frankly, one of the greatest recorded live piano recitals ever issued. While the material from the 78s isn’t as exciting, lacking the stimulus of the live audience, it’s still consistent with the level of pianism and musicianship heard in the live concert.

"There are a few more Renard 78s not included in this collection, including a set of the same Mozart Sonata. Some Renard Beethoven performances, from 78s and airchecks, were included on a private LP so obscure that it doesn’t have a label name. Until some enterprising label picks up these items for another CD, they’ll be inaccessible to nearly everyone. But the VAI set is enough to convince us of Renard’s greatness." – © Leslie Gerber (lesliegerber.net)

CONDITION – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

The gradations of condition I use are as follows: MINT, Near-Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

The condition of the "long box" is near-MINT.  There is a very minor bit of 'crushing' (more like a 'ding') to the upper edge, as well as some slight chaffing to the lettering along the spine, but that is all. Otherwise, the box appears almost as new. Really, I think it would be difficult improve upon this copy. The interior dowel rod and jackets are perfect. There is no edgewear to speak of, no bumping corners, no seamsplits, no corner breaks. Overall, this is an extremely fine collector's copy.

The condition of the 10-page booklet is VERY GOOD. There is a tiny tear to the lower edge of the front page and the booklet betrays some minor signs of handling and discoloration. However, the pages remain bright and crisp, the typesetting sharp, the binding perfect.

The condition of the 2LP is VERY GOOD++. Visually the surfaces remain bright and glossy, and there are no spindle trails whatsoever. In terms of sound, the surfaces are not CD silent, but in general the playback is excellent. It is quite possible that these are unplayed copies or copies that have been very seldom played. But they are also early (@ 1955) transfers from 78s and those who have heard the CD release of these recordings (on VAI Music) will know that even there the sound calls for a slight bit of tolerance. If you require silent or very quiet surfaces, then do not buy this set. I think the condition is excellent, bu the original source material had some limitations. As with the box, I think these copies would be hard to improve on in terms of their condition and regard them as fine collector's copies.

PLEASE NOTE:

The photos provided are of this actual copy – they are not stock photos or photos taken from another source – bid with confidence!

PAYMENT:

Payment must be made within 7 days of the auction's close. PayPal is greatly preferred; any bank transfers must be made to my bank in the USA, absolutely no exceptions (transfer must be made in dollars and the buyer is responsible for any and all fees). There are no other payment methods I will accept.

SHIPPING:

This particular item will be sent by certified airmail via the Spanish Postal System (with a tracking number). This will be paid by myself (the seller). I would prefer to insure it for the full amount. Those concerned about customs duties, please let me know, but given the value and rarity of this set, I personally prefer to insure it and declare full value. This set is extraordinarily rare, and I strongly doubt highly I will ever see another copy in my lifetime.

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 who makes a return will be refunded in full. On this particular item, the return must be initiated with 7 days of receipt of the LP. If returned, this item must be sent back in exactly the same manner - carefully packaged and sent by certified airmail (with a tracking number). The buyer bears the full cost of any and all return expenses. 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.