Zarins: Vivaldi The Four Seasons (rec. 1979) - Melodiya 33 C10-054143-44(a)

Jacket VG / LP NM / Russian pressing

This excellent LP from Melodiya (33 C10-054143-44(a), Soviet pressing, red/black label, stereo) features violinist Valdis Zarins’s highly imaginative and supremely eloquent rendition of Vivaldi's “The Four Seasons” Op. 8 Nos. 1-4, from 'The Trial of Harmony and Invention', recorded in 1979 with Tovi Lifshitz directing the Latvian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Neither soloist nor conductor is a familiar name, but that should not make one doubt the excellence of the performance on offer here, which can completely hold its own, even in the company of renowned “A-list” musical celebrities. The sound is warm and natural – superb!

The uncredited liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket are provided in Russian 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 VERY GOOD. There is minor bumping/wear at corners, as well as slight crushing to the upper edge and a bit of overall edgewear. However, there are no seamsplits, owners' markings, or other defects and the album remains solid, bright, and attractive – overall, a very good collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is near-MINT. The surfaces are pristine – overall, a beautiful collector's copy.