Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Phil - Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies [1963] 5CD

Herbert von Karajan recorded Ludwig van Beethoven's complete symphonies four times, first in the 1950s with the Philharmonia Orchestra on EMI, then on three more occasions with the Berlin Philharmonic for Deutsche Grammophon. This trimline, no-frills import edition is an affordable reissue of Karajan's 1963 cycle with Berlin, and it is highly regarded by fans for its consistent interpretations and energetic and emotional playing. Collectors usually rate this set higher than the 1977 and 1985 recordings, also with Berlin on DG, which have been criticized for being somewhat more mechanical in performance and clinical in sound quality. That said, Karajan's Beethoven is decidedly a product of the mid-20th century, following conventions that tended toward homogenization of orchestral colors, broad pacing, and an exaggerated sense of the heroic, particularly in the Third, Fifth, Seventh, and Ninth. Before the advent of the movement for period performance practices and the wide use of original 18th and 19th...

Track Listing

1. Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
2. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ("Eroica"), Op. 55
3. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36
4. Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60
5. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ("Fate"), Op. 67
6. Symphony No. 6 in F major ("Pastoral"), Op. 68
7. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
8. Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93
9. Symphony No. 9 in D minor ("Choral"), Op. 125