Beethoven:9 Symphonien Music

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by: Ludwig van Beethoven, Herbert Von Karajan, Walter Berry, Gundula Janowitz, Waldemar Kmentt, Hilde Rossel-Majdan

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Customer Reviews
Average Rating: Rating: - very difficult to review as a whole With reference to my title, I would like to continue by saying that it is most hard to assess the worth of these seperate performances, and to give a collective mark. I am not one of those people who considers it fashionable to knock Karajan's conducting of Beethoven, and I have heard all of these symphonies conducted by various masters of their art. None of these perfomances are poor, they are all very good; hence the five stars I have awarded. However, if one wants to buy the very best "cycle" of Beethoven's symphonies, then of course, one should purchase recordings by a number of conductors. Karajan's 1st and 2nd symphonies are fine as is his fourth. However, the "Eroica" is an exceptional performance. Karajan is one of the very few conductors who grasps the power and majesty of this magnificent symphony. Only when the symphony is performed with measured tempi, does this strength reveal itself. I would perhaps pick Klemperer's "legacy" recording over Karajan's, but there is little in it. Karajan once said to Klemperer that he hoped he would live to conduct the funeral march as well as Klemperer had, and Karajan just about gets his wish in this recording. The fifth symphony is another fine recording. It seems that everyone gets very excited by Kleiber's recording of the work, and it is a fine recording (although somewhat marred by technical issues in the final movement). Karajan's recording is similar and in my opinion on a par with Kleiber's. The sixth is probably marginally inferior to Bohm's famous recording, but the difference is again marginal. Karajan's seventh is another good recording, but a slightly troubled one. The seventh symphony requires a superhuman performance by the conductor to be truly satisfying. If the tempos aren't spot on then the fourth movement never really works. Karajan's recording suffers slightly from this problem, though I have never heard the cello line in the trio played more hauntingly. Klemperer's seventh is far and away the best recording of this work (once again don't worry too much about the "cult of Kleiber"). The eigth recording is fine and the ninth would be exceptional if it were not for the fact that Karajan doesn't force the choir to sufficiently attack the famous outburst in the finale. Apart from this, the symphony is fabulously played, and the singing from the soloists is divine. Thus, all in all, the cycle is a success, but for maximum enjoyment, don't limit yourself to one man's interpretations of the 9 symphonies. Rating: - Karajan's Best Beethoven Symphony Cycle Music critics and fans alike agree that Herbert von Karajan's first Berlin Philharmonic Beethoven symphony cycle was his best. These are exhilarating performances of most of Beethoven's symphonies, with the finest performances probably those of the 7th and 8th symphonies. Although the sound quality in this set is very good, those interested in hearing the finest version of this cycle should find a copy of the digital imaging bit remastered version which is part of Deutsche Grammophon's Complete Beethoven Edition. Unfortunately, that edition may be out of print. Personally I have never been a fan of this cycle or Karajan's other two Berlin Philharmonic cycles (The third cycle - which many regard as his worst - does have a fine version of the 3rd Symphony.); those interested in hearing exceptional Beethoven symphony cycles recorded in the 1960's or 1970's might be better advised to listen to Bohm's and Bernstein's versions with the Vienna Philharmonic. Rating: - The greatest cycle ever I have been listening to these recordings for 32 years and with the exception of the 6th I don't think they have ever been bettered. For me Karajan is the only conductor to play the funeral march of the Eroica with the gravity, dignity and depth it deserves, and his 1962 recording is the greatest there is. The first movement is just magnificent in its boundless energy and true "brio"-which is where Klemperer, in his stereo version, just leaves me cold because his tempo is far too slow. I only wish Karajan played the coda of this movement as Beethoven wrote it, but then again in his day nobody played it correctly. The Fourth in this Karajan cycle is the best except that the exposition repeat is missing (Karajan omitted all 1st movement repeats except in 1, 5 and 8), and the slow movement is just ravishing. By comparison his 1977 set is disappointing. The 8th and 9th are at the top of the choices of available recordings. The 7th is a bit over fast in the finale and the recording a little cloudy, but that cannot stop me enjoying every bar. This set should be heard by everyone just getting acquainted with Beethoven. The principal oboist throughout the whole nine symphonies must be heard to be believed.

Beethoven:9 Symphonien Music

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