Kovacs: Mendelssohn Violin Concerto + "Italian" Symphony - Hungaroton LPX 1191

Jacket EX / LP NM / Hungarian pressing

This handsome LP from Hungaroton (LPX 1191, Hungarian pressing, yellow label, stereo) features Dénes Kovács’ captivating account of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor Op. 64, made with conductor Gulya Nemeth and the Hungarian State Orchestra @ 1970. Filling out the disc is Nemeth and the Hungarian State Orchestra’s equally charismatic rendition of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 in A Major Op. 90 “Italian”, made during the same sessions.

Kovacs is an artist whose recorded legacy is richly deserving of systematic re-issue and renewed appreciation on disc. His Brahms Concerto is on a truly exalted plane and should be heard by all admirers of this great work.

This album was produced by Dora Antal and engineered by Laszlo Csintalan. The lovely cover art reproduces a detail from Johann Martin von Rohden’s “Wasserfall bei Tivoli”, while the cover design was executed by Irma Janaky. The reverse side of the jacket carries insightful liner notes by Peter Varnai, provided in Hungarian and English.

CONDITION:

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

The condition of the jacket is EXCELLENT. There is minor wear at corners and faint ringwear, but that is all. There are no seamsplits, bends, owners’ markings, or other defects and the album remains solid, bright, glossy, and highly attractive – overall, an excellent collector’s copy.

The condition of the LP itself is near-MINT. Although surfaces are not absolutely silent (and thus I have rated it NM vs. MINT) this is a fine copy and playback is superb. If you must have perfect surfaces, then please do not buy this LP. Overall, this rates as a NM collector's copy.