Product Details

• Actors: Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Opera, Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: Unknown (DTS 5.1), Unknown (PCM Stereo), Italian (PCM)
• Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Deutsche Grammophon
• DVD Release Date: December 6, 2005
• Run Time: 327 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000ANXLB2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,305 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

BEETHOVEN:SYMS - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Karajan at his peak, December 21, 2005

By 

Mike Birman (Brooklyn, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beethoven - The Symphonies Boxset / Herbert von Karajan, Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Jess Thomas, Walter Berry, Berlin Philharmoniker (DVD)

For many lovers of Beethoven's Symphonies, Karajan's 1962 integrated set of the nine (available as a CD box set from DGG) is the best available. For some (but not me), that collection is definitive: individual symphonies may vary in quality of performance, they say, but in toto, as a unified vision of these orchestral masterpieces, there is no finer set. In his later years, with the dawning of the digital era, Karajan re-recorded the Beethoven Nine. I purchased those autumnal efforts as they were released. I found them to be slow, essentially lackluster performances. They were filmed as well, and when this DVD set was initially offered for sale, I feared it contained films of those later, inferior recordings. Thankfully, it does not.

These performances date from the late 1960's - early 1970's. In many ways, they may be the best Beethoven recordings Karajan ever made. Those of you familiar with Carlos Kleiber's recordings of the 5th and 7th Symphonies might be interested to know that Karajan's 5th (lasting 30 minutes) and 7th (34 minutes) have a comparable urgency of expression. They are powerful, fleet explorations of these two ubiquitous works. His 5th is almost as fast as Roger Norrington's speed-freak version. It is as if Karajan sensed the future onslaught of period performances and was determined to pre-empt them.

The 1st (23 minutes) and 2nd (31 minutes) are Haydnesque Symphonies and Karajan conducts them as such. He gives them a Classical grace with a hint of the Beethovenian power to come. I love Beethoven's even-numbered symphonies; beautifully serene and graceful works that are less frequently played. They strike me as more personal expressions of Beethoven's genius, as if he had nothing to prove but his love for Music. The Berlin Philharmonic are like a thoroughbred horse, capable of instantaneously responding to the slightest touch of the reins. Watching Karajan conduct with eyes closed and only the slightest movement of his body is fascinating and the reason why DVD performances will inevitably replace the CD.

The "Eroica" (lasting 48 minutes) is played beautifully; Karajan crafts this structure with intelligence. Though embracing the mystery inherent in this inexplicable masterpiece, his performance flaunts Beethoven's revolutionary clarion call by urgently weaving the strands of fate. This inevitable tension is barely resolved by the repetitive dance-like themes of the final movement. A wonderful performance. The 4th (31 minutes) and 8th (25 minutes) Symphonies are a return to the sound-world of Haydn. Karajan conducts them as if they mean something and not as a mere afterthought; thoroughly enjoyable performances that had me conducting along with him. Thankfully, I was alone and unobserved.

The 6th Symphony, the "Pastoral" (lasting 36 minutes), is lovely, lyrical and serene. It evokes exactly what Beethoven wished to portray, the beauty and majesty of nature. Karajan loses himself in this evergreen score. An exquisite and delicate performance that I immediately replayed. The final work, the 9th Symphony (64 minutes) is sung by a masterful quartet of Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Jess Thomas and Walter Berry, all at their peak. All except Thomas are Karajan regulars. Filmed on New Year's, 1968, this is a fleeter, fiercer, more dramatic 9th than Karajan's previously recorded versions. He himself directs the film of this performance, using the camera to emphasize the twists and turns of the work. This is an excellent version of Beethoven's ultimate Symphony.

The films of these Symphonies all add to the enjoyment. Artistic self-indulgences are minimized. There are no slap-to-the-forehead, My-God-what-were-they-thinking? moments. The LPCM stereo and DTS 5.1 sound (the best sounding format) are both crystal clear, never betraying the age of these films. The performances are uniformly excellent, making this three DVD set nearly self-recommending. Watching them one can see why Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic were so admired, way back when the world was young.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Karajan at the height of his powers, March 29, 2006

By 

Mr. R. Lee-van Den Daele (England.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beethoven - The Symphonies Boxset / Herbert von Karajan, Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Jess Thomas, Walter Berry, Berlin Philharmoniker (DVD)

Thank heavens that the protracted wrangling between DG and Unitel seems to have been amicably resolved and this long-admired set of Beethoven symphony films has reached DVD.
Karajan was arguably at the apex of his conducting career in the late 1960s and early 1970s and this set - laid down between 1967-1972 - captures this gloriously.

The superbly-honed Berlin Philharmonic respond to their maestro as if one man and Karajan is certainly the embodiment of what the Germans call fingerspitzengefuehl - a combination of experience and intuitive instinct. He had, after all, lived and breathed these peaks of the orchestral repertoire for many years and that knowledge and feel for the works pays off here in spades.

Karajan's keen interest in film-making is also showcased as he directs symphonies 4, 5 and 9 himself. Other celebrated directors take the helm for the remaining symphonies, including an endlessly fascinating Pastoral from Hugo Niebeling whose arty shots and quirky, psychadelic take could only be a product of the 1960s and which distills an interesting collision between high art and flower power - definitely one to see and one I have returned to time again. A sense of experimentation is also evident - a stunning Eroica has the BPO parcelled-up into inverted triangular segments (ancient Greek theatre is brought to mind) while the glossy floor under Karajan's podium is washed by different colours as the symphony progresses. Some may think it tacky, I found it a refreshing and stimulating visual treat.

As for the performances themselves Karajan's famous 1962 DG cycle on disc and his follow-up 1976 cycle have long been highly recommendable. And though the Beethoven symphonies were well-established in Karajan's conducting schedule over this period, there is not a whiff of routine here. This filmed cycle blends breathtaking elements of both sound-only cycles - fire and ice, pinpoint precision, gloriously sweeping strings, biting brass and that formidable burnished BPO sound. The DTS soundtrack is truly first class.

Image quality is also faultless (in spite of the age of the films) as I imagine 35mm film stock was utilised and it has a warmth and clarity that his later Sony Legacy cycle sadly lacked. His latter performances were good but he was longer in the tooth by that stage and the decision to record the cycle with seemingly no audience present robbed those recordings of a certain sense of realism.
Karajan and his Berliners at this time represented the high water mark of orchestral musicianship and anyone who is even slightly interested in either the works or the superb performers will find their outlay repaid a thousandfold. For fans this is, of course, a no-brainer: do not hesitate.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superlative playing, January 8, 2006

By 

T. Treichler "Music enthusiast" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beethoven - The Symphonies Boxset / Herbert von Karajan, Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Jess Thomas, Walter Berry, Berlin Philharmoniker (DVD)

Superb rendition in exquisite sound of Beethoven's nine symphonies by the orchestra and conductor who inspired a generation of classical music lovers during the 1960s and 1970s. Having attended live performances of this ensemble under Karajan between 1959 and 1983, this stunning set brings back to me the extraordinary experience each of those concert generated. Highly recommended.