Anyone understand why this LP fetches ten thousand dollars or more, and the limited re-issues around $1500???
Columbia SAX 2386 - $10,000
- Thread starter ack
- Start date
Anyone understand why this LP fetches ten thousand dollars or more, and the limited re-issues around $1500???
Rarity and performance. Although I can think of a number of albums that I would rather have and for a lot less money. But if you are a collector, that's one to place in your collection...
Most Kogan records on British EMI Columbia or ASD fetch $1,000's in NM condition. I have a sneaky suspicion why prices are so high is the success and money in the Asian hi end audio market. They want the best music too which is finite driving up prices in the U.K. for Golden age classical UK made records.
Kogan EMI Columbia SAX's have been going through the roof. The ERC reissue is around $600US. However, Testament has reissued most of the Kogan SAX's, doing a very nice job for the regular $25-35 or so price. I just checked on the Testament website and they have the Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky all available at $25.03 (however they are in the UK). Elusive Disc looks like it has the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky for $35 minus 15% sale right now. I met a collector about a decade ago at Amoeba Records in San Francisco. We started talking and he was looking for the Kogan Brahms Violin Concerto in an original SAX. IIRC, he said they were going for $800 or so, and he was willing to pay the price. Recently they have been in the $5K range, but I hadn't seen any at $10K. I only have one, the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, which I got 15 or 20 years ago for maybe $25 or $30. Now it is $5000. Absolutely crazy. That is what supply and demand does, and there isn't even a short squeeze going on! Larry
Hi Larry
Urban legend has it that this recording was made inside the iron curtain by the Columbia team as Kogan was rarely if ever allowed out. Would you know if this is at least partially true?
Urban legend has it that this recording was made inside the iron curtain by the Columbia team as Kogan was rarely if ever allowed out. Would you know if this is at least partially true?
That I had not heard before. I know that Kogan has several recordings with western orchestras besides the Beethoven. I would think it would have been a big deal in the '50's to have a complete orchestra go into the Soviet Union to do a recording there. I have an RCA recording of him with the Boston Symphony, and most of his EMI Columbia recordings are with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London or the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra.
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/20/obituaries/leonid-logan-a-leading-soviet-violinist-58.html
Here is his obit from the NYT. It says he played abroad frequently, including tours of the US.
BTW, the Mercury team went to the USSR to do a series of recordings around 1960. I remember that was a big deal. I think all the recordings were with Soviet orchestras, but American soloists were featured.
Larry
Last edited:
Thanks for posting this. I was lucky enough to meet Pete Hutchinson, the main person behind the ERC about six years ago when the project was first starting. Dave Parsons, his partner at ERC, is a London record dealer, whom I have known for quite a few years, took me over to Pete's studio, where I saw the various pieces of old equipment which were yet to be restored and reassembled. Here are a few shots I took on the visit. Pete has red hair.
It was a huge restoration project. I usually visit Dave annually and he kept me up with the project, including hearing test pressings as they were made available. The first major issue was the three Johanna Martzy albums of the Bach Violin Sonatas and Partitas, an original mono recording. Dave has been the person responsible for choosing which albums to do, since his record business specializes in the rarest and priciest classical recordings, of which the three Martzy's are among the top. They also chose the Kogan Beethoven and some other super rare albums. Many complex issues arose beyond the actual restoration, including unsatisfactory pressings, issues with the letter press printing of the album jackets and the sale of EMI Classical to Warners. Fortunately, Warners has been very cooperative with their project. I was able to hear the Beethoven Violin Concerto album in a test pressing at Dave's place three years ago, IIRC, and then an actual pressing that I borrowed from a friend last year.
Larry
Similar threads
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |