Beethoven Syms No. 2 (Bamberger) + No. 4 (Goehr) - Guilde Int. du Disque MMS-2040

Jacket EX / LP VG / French pressing

This fine LP from Guilde International du Disque (MMS-2040, French pressing, green/silver label, mono – no stereo edition exists) pairs two superb Beethoven symphony performances.

The exact contents are as follows:

Side 1 – Carl Bamberger conducting the Orchestra de l’Opera de Francfort

Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major Op. 36

Side 2 – Walter Goehr conducting the Orchestra de l’Opera de Francfort

Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major Op. 60

It would be a grave injustice to label either Bamberger or Goehr a simple “kapellmeister”. Both men brought energy and flair to the podium and had they been contracted to a major label, no doubt many of their recordings would be highly prized by collectors’. Their discs are very much worth seeking out. The Orchester Des Städtischen Opernhauses Frankfurt plays with great strength and a richly layered sound – truly impressive from first to last.

There are excellent liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket by James Lyons, then Editor of The American Record Guide. The striking cover art is uncredited, alas.

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 jacket is EXCELLENT. There is very light edgewear, and minor bumping at corners, but that is all. This is close to NM. There are no seamsplits, bends, or other defects, and the album remains solid, bright, glossy, and highly attractive – overall, a very fine collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is VERY GOOD. Though there is surface noise and occasional tics, in general playback remains quite fine. However, those wanting a flawless or near-MINT copy are kindly advised to look elsewhere. Overall, this rates as a very good collector's copy.