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Music : Ludwig van Beethoven: 9 Symphonien
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Rating: 
- Le must de Herr Karajan
Many considerations must be done to qualify this record: 1.There is no way to deny that Karajan is a legend. Many listeners can say that he's more a legend that a great musician, but this is a superficial analysis. Of course he's a controversial personality (He directed the Berliner Opera House in the Nazi government)but we must not analyze the quality of an artist by his personal life and thoughts. Karajan is a great director (maybe the 20th century greatest) and he used this quality is his music and his interpretations to sell a new image of Berliner Philarmonisches. Even thought the orchestra born in 19th century, only in the Karajan period it began the world known best orchestra. He was a marketing guy, yes, but he sold good music, very good music. 2. This orchestra is the best. And the secret is that there's no boss on it. BPO is known by his despotic directors, but the administration is really made by all the musicians. All of them split the profits. Karajan was also very rigorous in his musicians choices. As a result, the players are all soloists, all great musicians that prefer to play in a group. Many of the musicians that made this record were not permanent members of the orchestra, but soloist guests. 3. This 63' Beethoven's circle is the best of all 4 that Karajan recorded. The musicians formation was the best and Karajan was relatively new in this job. So, he was more carefull about his interpretations (the last ones are very free) because he wasn't the myth he is nowadays. 4. The ninth symphony in this record is collectors piece. Anyone who likes music must have it. A historical piece, the transition between classicism and romantism (it's really considered the first romantic peace) and a historical interpretation. Many musicologists say that this interpretation is much closer to what Beethoven pretented that any other. Some say this ninth is the Beethoven personal ninth. 5. There are two Beethoven's symphonies that only Karajan understood in a proper way. The Fourth and the Seventh. These are less known peaces (if compared with "Eroica", "Pastoral" or the Ninth) but pieces with an incredible importance to Beethoven's work and to the music history. The cellos and double-basses in the seventh allegreto makes a divine music. 6. There are a general consensus that Karajan's 1963 "Eroica" is also the best recording of this work. The passion of Karajan's interpretation is very proper to his work, written by Beethoven during the Napoleonic Wars. 7. The cohesion between music, players and dirigent is unique. You may figure yourself listening to these works in 19th century played by Beethoven. There's no accent, no errors. Is german music (mainly the Ninth) played by germans. This is a special recording that all have to listen several times. First, to hear the music, then to find many details of this interpretation. 8. The technical aspects are also great. Karajan used to work directly with Grammophon sound engineers and he was very carefull with the sound quality of his recordings. Therefore, Grammophon developed many gadgets to increase the quality of the recording and used many microphones to catch all the different sound of this amazing orchestra.
So, this is the number 1 of any recording. Is the basic recording of any music fan.
Rating: - The best Beethoven cycle? Yes, it is.
Anyone who would give this cycle three stars has ears that are way jaded toward a particular "school" of performing practice. This set is excellent. These performances combine the athleticism, agility, and excitement of so called "period" performing practice, sans the sometimes annoyingly scrawny textures, with the weight of what has become a more "traditional modern" orchestral sound. Karajan's performances of 6-8 could stand to "smile" a little more, but those performances of plenty have excitement, and the rest of the cycle has adrenaline as well as grandeur. This is easily the best complete Beethoven cycle, regardless of price, if that's how you want to acquire these symphonies, and most of the individual performances are at the top of the list, as well, especially 2,3,4,5,&9.
Rating:
- Merely O.K.
The best performance of the set is the Eroica. But even though the set's famous, I simply don't think it's that good. Karajan's texture is glossy (even in the Eroica), and that doesn't make for good Beethoven. It sounds superficial.
Since the only syms in the set which stand out are the 2nd, 3d, and 7th, and even these are not the best versions one can buy, forgo this set. Get the Cleveland/Szell set on Sony instead. His Eroica is the best stereo version, and his 7th is very solid. The only syms he doesn't get right are the 1st and 9th. So pick up Reiner's versions, which are the best for those works.
Rating: - Endorsed by 9 out of 10 top athletes-haha.
This cycle of Beethoven symphonies is great for a number of reasons. The Seventh symphony is especially pleasing. Compared to many other recordings of this symphony, it is the most exciting. In the fourth movement, the intensity is incredible. Other performances lack compared to this one. The playing of the Berlin Philharmonic is superb. The Eroica symphony is great as well. Then there is the 9th Symphony. This has to be the very best recording of the Ninth Symphony ever recorded and it's my guess that it won't be passed. This set may not have the best recordings of every symphony, but it is the best cycle available of the symphonies, and it does come with at the very least two of the greatest recordings of Beethoven's symphonies. This box set is a great introduction to Beethoven, a great addition to collections that already have lots of Beethoven, and a landmark set for Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic.
Rating: - Rocks in his ears
That's what the guy from Germany must have if he doesn't think the new re-mastering of this classic set is VASTLY superior to the quickly dumped onto CD earlier version. This time around, they took some time and properly equalized the set, making it even more stunning than before. Get that set, not this one. Same recordings (1962), MUCH better sound.
- Le must de Herr KarajanMany considerations must be done to qualify this record: 1.There is no way to deny that Karajan is a legend. Many listeners can say that he's more a legend that a great musician, but this is a superficial analysis. Of course he's a controversial personality (He directed the Berliner Opera House in the Nazi government)but we must not analyze the quality of an artist by his personal life and thoughts. Karajan is a great director (maybe the 20th century greatest) and he used this quality is his music and his interpretations to sell a new image of Berliner Philarmonisches. Even thought the orchestra born in 19th century, only in the Karajan period it began the world known best orchestra. He was a marketing guy, yes, but he sold good music, very good music. 2. This orchestra is the best. And the secret is that there's no boss on it. BPO is known by his despotic directors, but the administration is really made by all the musicians. All of them split the profits. Karajan was also very rigorous in his musicians choices. As a result, the players are all soloists, all great musicians that prefer to play in a group. Many of the musicians that made this record were not permanent members of the orchestra, but soloist guests. 3. This 63' Beethoven's circle is the best of all 4 that Karajan recorded. The musicians formation was the best and Karajan was relatively new in this job. So, he was more carefull about his interpretations (the last ones are very free) because he wasn't the myth he is nowadays. 4. The ninth symphony in this record is collectors piece. Anyone who likes music must have it. A historical piece, the transition between classicism and romantism (it's really considered the first romantic peace) and a historical interpretation. Many musicologists say that this interpretation is much closer to what Beethoven pretented that any other. Some say this ninth is the Beethoven personal ninth. 5. There are two Beethoven's symphonies that only Karajan understood in a proper way. The Fourth and the Seventh. These are less known peaces (if compared with "Eroica", "Pastoral" or the Ninth) but pieces with an incredible importance to Beethoven's work and to the music history. The cellos and double-basses in the seventh allegreto makes a divine music. 6. There are a general consensus that Karajan's 1963 "Eroica" is also the best recording of this work. The passion of Karajan's interpretation is very proper to his work, written by Beethoven during the Napoleonic Wars. 7. The cohesion between music, players and dirigent is unique. You may figure yourself listening to these works in 19th century played by Beethoven. There's no accent, no errors. Is german music (mainly the Ninth) played by germans. This is a special recording that all have to listen several times. First, to hear the music, then to find many details of this interpretation. 8. The technical aspects are also great. Karajan used to work directly with Grammophon sound engineers and he was very carefull with the sound quality of his recordings. Therefore, Grammophon developed many gadgets to increase the quality of the recording and used many microphones to catch all the different sound of this amazing orchestra.
So, this is the number 1 of any recording. Is the basic recording of any music fan.
Rating:
- The best Beethoven cycle? Yes, it is.Anyone who would give this cycle three stars has ears that are way jaded toward a particular "school" of performing practice. This set is excellent. These performances combine the athleticism, agility, and excitement of so called "period" performing practice, sans the sometimes annoyingly scrawny textures, with the weight of what has become a more "traditional modern" orchestral sound. Karajan's performances of 6-8 could stand to "smile" a little more, but those performances of plenty have excitement, and the rest of the cycle has adrenaline as well as grandeur. This is easily the best complete Beethoven cycle, regardless of price, if that's how you want to acquire these symphonies, and most of the individual performances are at the top of the list, as well, especially 2,3,4,5,&9.
Rating:
- Merely O.K.The best performance of the set is the Eroica. But even though the set's famous, I simply don't think it's that good. Karajan's texture is glossy (even in the Eroica), and that doesn't make for good Beethoven. It sounds superficial.
Since the only syms in the set which stand out are the 2nd, 3d, and 7th, and even these are not the best versions one can buy, forgo this set. Get the Cleveland/Szell set on Sony instead. His Eroica is the best stereo version, and his 7th is very solid. The only syms he doesn't get right are the 1st and 9th. So pick up Reiner's versions, which are the best for those works.
Rating:
- Endorsed by 9 out of 10 top athletes-haha.This cycle of Beethoven symphonies is great for a number of reasons. The Seventh symphony is especially pleasing. Compared to many other recordings of this symphony, it is the most exciting. In the fourth movement, the intensity is incredible. Other performances lack compared to this one. The playing of the Berlin Philharmonic is superb. The Eroica symphony is great as well. Then there is the 9th Symphony. This has to be the very best recording of the Ninth Symphony ever recorded and it's my guess that it won't be passed. This set may not have the best recordings of every symphony, but it is the best cycle available of the symphonies, and it does come with at the very least two of the greatest recordings of Beethoven's symphonies. This box set is a great introduction to Beethoven, a great addition to collections that already have lots of Beethoven, and a landmark set for Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic.
Rating:
- Rocks in his earsThat's what the guy from Germany must have if he doesn't think the new re-mastering of this classic set is VASTLY superior to the quickly dumped onto CD earlier version. This time around, they took some time and properly equalized the set, making it even more stunning than before. Get that set, not this one. Same recordings (1962), MUCH better sound.