Brahms: The Complete Symphonies / Karajan, Berlin PO

Johannes Brahms (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Composer: Johannes Brahms
• Audio CD (June 9, 1998)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000007ODY
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,049 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #29 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Symphonies > Romantic
  • #53 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Romantic (c.1820-1910) > Forms & Genres
  • #91 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > General Modern

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: BRAHMS,J.
Title: SYMPHONIES-COMP
Street Release Date: 06/09/1998
Domestic
Genre: CLASSICAL COMPOSERS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Karajan's greatness marred by DG's recording techniques, March 14, 2004

By 

R. Lane (Tracy, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brahms: The Complete Symphonies / Karajan, Berlin PO (Audio CD)

Herbert von Karajan made many dearly beloved recordings of some or all of Brahms symphonies several times in his lifetime. Two complete sets are worth noting more than the others though. The recordings heard on the set reviewed here, and the recordings made in the 1960s. The set reviewed here was made in the late 1970s. At that time, DG was in the habit of using very close microphone techniques. Someone there thought "the more the merrier" and placed microphones as close to the orchestra as possible. The result is a sound that is very dry, almost entirely lacking in accoustic reverb. I dread listening to these recordings. They seem one dimensional. There is no depth. For example, the listener cannot tell if the timpani is right in front of the conductor, or in the back of the orchestra. The 1960s recordings are entirely different matter. They sound warm, three dimensional, lifelike in comparison to the 1970s. The 1960s recordings are not completely available as a set, to my knowledge. You can get #2 and #3 together (Amazon asin # B000001GBU) , but that CD is s very early remastering done in the mid 1980s, and is marred by digital graininess. For a good example of the 1960s set though, get the recording of #1 that is coupled with the Schumann #1 in DGs more recent "The Originals" series (Amazon asin # B000001GQ5). If you love Karajan's Brahms, this is the pinnacle to aim for. If only DG would issue all of the early 1960s Brahms recordings Karajan made, we who love his interpretations would be in heaven.

57 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Karajan's Great Brahms Symphony Cycle, July 26, 2001

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brahms: The Complete Symphonies / Karajan, Berlin PO (Audio CD)

To his credit, Herbert von Karajan obtained a lush, warm sound from his Berlin Philharmonic that was almost as fine as the Vienna Philharmonic's. A sound which is absent in today's Berlin Philharmonic. No where is it heard better than on this two CD set from Deutsche Grammophon. However, I wouldn't rate it as one of the truly great Brahms symphony cycles. Bernard Haitink, Kurt Masur, and Kurt Sanderling have offered more inspired, more riveting accounts of Brahms' symphonies with orchestras in Amsterdam, Boston, New York and Dresden. Even Harnoncourt's recent Brahms symphony cycle with the Berlin Philharmonic sounds more dramatic - as well as innovative - than Karajan's. Karajan gives us technically perfect readings of this music that lack much of the drama associated with Brahms' scores. Perhaps his best account is of the 4th Symphony; only here does he give a riveting, dramatic interpretation of Brahms' last symphony. Unless you are a fan of Karajan's, I recommend skipping this set and acquiring any of the ones I mentioned above, with highest praise going to Haitink's, Masur's, and Sanderling's versions.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not great., August 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Brahms: The Complete Symphonies / Karajan, Berlin PO (Audio CD)

I'm a big fan of Karajan, and even though he was recently voted the #1 conductor of the century by a major classical magazine, it seems that he didn't work wonders with Brahms as consistently as I would hope. These aren't bad recordings, but with the many fine Brahms cycles that are now available, I would not recommend this set. The first symphony is not as crisp and clearly articulated as Karajan's 1964 version, which is perhaps the best on record. The second symphony lacks grace, even though it has plenty of fire. You just feel like the Berlin group is churning away in the finale. The third and fourth symphonies did not make much of an impression either. Like I say, I love Karajan--but these recordings just don't do it for me! Claudio Abbado's digital recordings with the same orchestra are fabulous, and I love Solti's version of the second--so maybe the rest of the works in his set are equally enjoyable. I have not heard Karajan's earlier versions of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Maybe they are better. I hope so!