Stein/OSR: Sibelius Pelleas et Melisande + The Tempest (rec. 1978) - Decca 6.42542 AS
$7.00 USD
Jacket EX / LP EX / German pressing
This beautiful LP from Decca (6.42542 AS, German Teldec · Telefunken-Decca pressing, blue label, stereo) features conductor Horst Stein and l’Orchestre da la Suisse Romande in a highly atmospheric all-Sibelius program, recorded in the warm acoustics of Victoria Hall, Geneva, on 30 June 1978 (producer: Richard Beswick / engineers: Colin Moorfoot and John Pellowe). Stein was a potent Sibelian – indeed, he was a superb conductor in all repertoire, though his recorded legacy has really only enjoyed comprehensive re-issue on CD in Japan.
These performances can be spoken of in the same breath as those by Beecham and, more recently, by Vanska. Moreover, Decca’s engineering is truly everything one could wish for.
The exact program is as follows:
Pelléas et Melisande, Incidental Music Op. 46
The Tempest, Incidental Music Op. 109
Incidentally, there are excellent liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket by Hanspeter Krellmann.
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 very slight bumping/wear at corners, but that is all. There are no owners’ markings, seamsplits, bends, or other defects, and the album remains solid, bright, glossy, and highly attractive – overall, this rates as an excellent collector's copy.
The condition of the LP itself is EXCELLENT+. Though the surfaces are not absolutely silent, really this is a fine copy and the playback is quite superb. Those requiring CD silent surfaces are kindly advised to look elsewhere. Overall, this rates as an excellent collector's copy.