Tortelier/Sargent: Dvorak Cello Concerto - La Voix de son Maitre FALP 443 (ds)

Jacket VG+ / LP EX

This beautiful LP from La Voix de son Maitre (FALP 443, French Pathe-Marconi pressing, red/white label, mono, “baguette”-style jacket, dowel spine) features Paul Tortelier's exalted account of Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B minor Op. 104, his first commercial recording in stereo, taped in 1956 with Sir Malcolm Sargent conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Not currently on CD, though available online from Naxos, this remarkable performance deserves to be much better known, and can be spoken of in the same breath as those by Fournier/Szell, Piatigorsky/Munch, et al. The recorded sound is superb and it has never sounded better than here, in this lovely original white/gold Electrola pressing – not to be missed. 

Incidentally, the striking cover design was executed by Atelier Cassandre. Included is the small booklet – so often missing from these issues – with insightful liner notes by pianist Michel Briguet, provided in French only. 

CONDITION – PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY:

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

The condition of the heavy cardboard “baguette”-style jacket is VERY GOOD+. The only real flaw barring a NM grading concerns discoloration to the front panel. There are no seamsplits, bends, or other defects, and the album remains solid, bright, and highly attractive in appearance – overall, this is a very good collector's copy.

The condition of the dowel spine is NM – a fine copy. The condition of the dowel/spine sleeve is EX.

The condition of the LP itself is EXCELLENT. Visually, there are rubs, papers sleeve and other non-sounding marks. In terms of sound, although the surfaces are not perfectly silent, really this is a fine copy and playback is superb, close to NM. Those requiring a flawless or near-MINT copy are advised to look elsewhere. Overall, this is an excellent collector's copy.