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 and very rare 4 LP box set – a superb collector’s copy – from La Voix de son Maitre (FALP 584/7, French pressings, red/silver labels – ED1, cloth box, booklet included, mono – no stereo edition exists) features Christian Ferras’ sublime  readings of the complete Beethoven Violin Sonatas, recorded with long-time collaborator, pianist Pierre Barbizet – recorded in the warm acoustics of the Salle Wagram, Paris, from September to November 1958 – still a landmark cycle over a half-century on.

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This particular issue is very attractive, consisting of a heavy cloth box with gilt lettering and an eloquent 4-page booklet with extensive notes on the music – provided in French only.

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There have been fine traversals by the likes of Menuhin, Szeryng, Stern, Oistrakh, Perlman, et al., but Ferras brings his own insights to these timeless scores, and his is a cycle touched by a wisdom and purity, allied to a fine technique, that makes special claims on the collector.

The French engineers afforded this remarkable duo with uncommonly fine sound, the violin perfectly distanced from the microphone and its balance with the piano well judged.  Unlike so many collaborations captured on disc, this was one of equals, with Barbizet – a splendid pianist – consistently matching Ferras in imagination. Indeed, the two are superbly matched throughout all ten sonatas – a truly inspired musical partnership that was a model of its kind.

Thus, included are all 10 of Beethoven's Violin Sonatas:

No. 1 in D Major Op. 12 No. 1

(rec. 22 September 1958)

No. 2 in A Major Op. 12 No. 2

(rec. 23 September 1958)

No. 3 in E-flat Major Op. 12 No. 3

(rec. 27 September 1958)

No. 4 in A minor Op. 23

(rec. 29 September 1958)

No. 5 in F Major Op. 24 'Spring'

(rec. 14 November 1958)

No. 6 in A Major Op. 30 No. 1

(rec. 16 November 1958)

No. 7 in C minor Op. 30 No. 2

(rec. 16 November 1958)

No. 8 in G Major Op. 30 No. 3

(rec. 17 November 1958)

No. 9 in A Major Op. 47 'Kreutzer'

(rec. 23 November 1958)

No. 10 in G Major Op. 96

(rec. 18 November 1958)

As much a tribute to Ferras as to Beethoven, this beautiful set remains an extreme rarity.

Incidentally, for these sessions, Ferras played the lovely 1721 Stradivarius 'Le President'.

Included is a near full-size 4-page booklet with notes on the music by Jean Cotté – all texts in French only.

CONDITION – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

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

A personal note on grading: I see so many sellers casually listing 50- to 60-year-old LPs as near-MINT (NM), when this is simply not the case, or giving a plain VG++/VG++ grading with no further details as to playback. In many cases, I think the LPs have not been play-graded or cleaned. I am quite confident that many of the “very good” copies listed in my shop are, in fact, better than the “NM” copies that routinely sell on eBay for higher prices. All 10 sides of this set have been carefully auditioned by myself and carefully and professionally cleaned.

Read the description below carefully, and then bid with confidence!

The condition of the cloth box is EXCELLENT++. There is slight bumping at corners, as well as minor edgewear and mild discoloration, but that is all. There are no seamsplits, corner breaks, bends, owners’ markings, or other defects and the box remains solid, bright, and highly attractive in appearance – overall, this rates as an excellent collector’s copy.

The condition of the 4-page booklet is EXCELLENT++. There is very minor evidence of handling, but that is all. The pages remain bright and crisp, the binding perfect.

The condition of the 4 LP is EXCELLENT++ throughout. There are no spindle trails, the surfaces retain a high gloss and are free of marks. And the playback, if not CD silent, is outstanding; In terms of sound, I suppose there are occasional 'sounds', none of which, in my opinion, rise to the level of a tic. In fact, the playback is superb. Ferras’ violin sounds with great clarity and presence. Nonetheless, if you require or are expecting absolutely flawless copies, then please do not buy this set. In summary, these rate as truly 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. 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 LPs. 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.