STRAUSS/Von Karajan - - "Death & Transfiguration" - London 'Blue Back' 1963

"Among Strauss' tone poems, Tod und Verkl‰rung (Death and Transfiguration) stands out for its concise program of an unnamed artist's demise and the subsequent transformation of his spirit. Unlike Ein Heldenleben, which contained an autobiographical element, Tod und Verkl‰rung is more universal in its expression of dying. Here Strauss does not present a triumphant narrative of individual accomplishment, but rather explores the fleeting images of past experience as they dissolve before a dying person's eyes. Composed in 1888-1889, just after Don Juan, Tod und Verkl‰rung departs from the kind of tone poem Strauss had written up to that time. Instead of using a literary source as the basis, he imagined his own scenario. In fact the verses by Alexander Ritter appended to the score are an afterthought Strauss added after he had completed the work. He is reputed to have said, just before his own death, that dying was just as he had depicted it in Tod und Verklerung." - AMG.

This is a very early pressing London 'Blue Back' from 1963.

The record is Exc.
The jacket is Good.
The LP plays/sounds Mint.

Outstanding. The sound is warm and lush but also with plenty of detail. Tonality is exceptional, as are the dynamics and detail. Imaging is very strong and each instrument is surrounded by 'air' and presence. The precision that Von Karajan brings is clearly heard and felt through the performance.
Surface noise is minimal - some very low-level 'crackles' and some random 'ticks' on the quietest passages only.

Each record is washed on a VPI cleaning machine using a proprietary 3-5 agent process which is determined by the needs of the individual record. Each record is then listened to 100% to insure that the posted description is exactly what you can expect to get.

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