Customer Reviews

Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 1: Symphonies

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a digital (ADD) remastering of the original recordings from 1961-63. Much of the noise has been cleaned up and the signal/noise ratio and dynamic range are dramatically improved over the earlier release. Some residual tape hiss persists, but the dynamics of the instruments and voices really start to shine. There are a few instances of heavy distortion during loud passages - probably the original microphones or tape being overdriven. Nevertheless, this is a formidable, definitive, historical set for the collector. An excellent vintage, if a bit fortified.

von Karajan did many things very well. This is one of them. I have the older version of this set on CD. I also have some of the originally released records and cassettes of the 1960's Karajan Beethoven Symphony cycle. He has recorded these a number of times. The 70's version, well, I did not like the sound. The 80's recordings were digital, but heavily mixed, and the sound and performance not up to the 60's version.

This version is the complete set of Beethoven's nine symphonies.

Performance is historically classic...wonderful. Recording is excellent, better than many new ones. Karajan is a master at Beethoven. He also has two recordings out of Beethoven's Triple Concerto (one with Rostopovich, one with YoYo Ma)...both wonderful. These symphonies are a must for anyone interested in classical music. I have purchased many renderings of Beethoven's Ninth. All but this Karajan 1960's versions have gone to the used CD shops. This is what all recordings of Beethoven should be measured by.

I don't like Karajan with Mahler, or some other composers, but with this set, he is close to perfection.

And the price is a bargain.

Five stars easily.

I came to the 1961-63 cycle by way of Karajan's mid-80s digital Gold accounts. I am bowled over by the sheer beauty and controlled excitement in the 3rd; and the 7th has striking, gloriously judged tempi. My favourite 9th from Karajan is still the 1977 performance, however, in it's new guise, this reissue glows with full choral power as never before. The "single-bit" format seems to restore some of the Berlin strings' lustre and sheen. The balance and spatial enhancement is real. A marvelous effort by DG. At almost double the price of the first CD transfer I still think it is worth the outlay. Enjoy anew this must have set.

For some reason, this remastered edition is poorly rated. However, go check out the reviews of the 1963 non-remastered Karajan edition for a better idea of what you are in store for. This set is considered an integral collection of the Beethoven symphonic output, and a quick listen will show you why. Karajan delivers knockout, even defintive renditions of the 3rd, 4th, 8th and 9th symphonies in this set, along with a very strong 5th and 7th. His "Eroica" and "Choral" are probably amongst the greatest accounts of Beethoven's two largest-scale symphonies, and his 4th and 8th may be the best recordings available.

Karajan's sound emphasizes a sense of urgency and a rather streamlined approach to Beethoven. In a sense, these recordings are illustrative of the "old-school" approach to Beethoven, the way the old masters used to conduct his symphonies, rather than a modernistic, highly interpretive approach (e.g. Norrington, Gardiner, the 1999 Abbado cycle). To me, the old-school approach works much more effectively for a composer like Beethoven than the less emotional modern accounts, with their highly varied tempi and rather rough-hewn sound. However, like most things this is a matter of taste.

The sound in this release is greatly improved; DG utilized their Original Image Bit Processing technique on these 1962 recordings, and as a result, the sound is more balanced, the signal-to-noise ratio is greatly improved, and the overall clarity of sound in both the high-end and low-end is enhanced. I compared this set to the previously released version and it's not even close. This set sounds almost as good as Karajan's 1977 cycle, and that set has great sound.

A must-have for fans of Beethoven or Karajan as it represents the magnum opus of both artists.

There has been no end of praise for Karajan's early Sixties Beethoven cycle, but the sonics were never first-rate. At Amazon there are three box sets for consumers to choose among. The cheapest, with a marron cover and a striking photo of the conductor, repesents the first CD issue and therefore has crude, edgy sound that is no longer acceptable.

The second issue, for DG's Complete Beethoven Edition, is the one pictured here. For it, DG did a reasonable remastering job, and for more than a decade it passed for the best we were likely to get. However, with the advent of SACD the company did a complete reburishment. I can't comment on the multi-channel sound, but as played through regular two-channel stereo, the improvement is marked in terms of sweeter upper strings, less boomy bass, and a crisper orchestral profile. At Amazon Marketplace one can obtain the hybrid SACD set for around the same price as this earlier remastering. that's definitely the better buy.

This is the famous early 1960's Karajan recording of Beethoven's 9 symphonies. This is Karajan at his absolute best, the orchestra and conductor seem to be a world removed from lesser conductors and ensembles. The Berlin Philharmonic has a real air of swaggering confidence in these recordings and Karajan seems to be on a mission to make a lasting impression, which he does! The exceptional rhythmic drive, the unbelievable intergrity of ensemble have to be heard to be believed and the best part of all is that this cycle as sold here is remastered using DG's "Original Image Bit-Processing" which makes the recordings shine like new. These remastered versions completely supersede the earlier maroon box-set of the same recordings, yes the one with the cool Karajan picture on the front of the box.

The cycle I'm reviewing is like I said, the first of 3 DG cycles, the old mono EMI set is not competitive with the 3 DG cycles. So what distinguishes this first DG set from the other Karajan cycles, not to mention the dozens of cycles by other conductors?

Symphony 1 is played just like mature Beethoven, not second hand Mozart or Haydn. You relish hearing this symphony played in the grand manner with complete conviction as opposed to the typical quasi-period fashion that is considered good manners today! Forget good manners, I want a great performance! Karajan does that but I would have liked a slightly slower tempo in the andante movement.

Symphony 2 is one of the best you'll ever hear. It has everything, power, vigor, just hear the BPO go for the gusto in the codas to the outer movements, no one else can duplicate that! So intoxicating. The larghetto is wonderful too, even though I have heard more loving portrayals of this movement. But you really get the sense of joy that the musicians have in this music and is that perhaps Karajan moaning in pleasure? If you listen on headphones really closely, it's possible to hear the typically stone-faced authoritarian conductor elicit moans of pleasure from the music that his orchestra is creating before his ears.

Symphony 3, this Eroica is one for the ages. With the opening movement taking flight you know this is going to be great. Karajan certainly looks back to the bold and dramatic Toscanini performances of old but what Karajan brings to the interpretation is that beauty of sound typically associated with him. It is not a hinderance at all, the whole work sounds suave, dark, cool and mysterious. The funeral march is great, all 17 minutes of it, Karajan's longest take and it is involving every step of the way. The scherzo and finale are also bubbling with life and total commitment. As good as this Eroica is though, I still would have to nominate Karajan's final digital Eroica from the 1980's on the "Karajan Gold" label as being the conductor's best. The first movement on that "Karajan Gold" Eroica is faster and more explosive while the funeral march, although faster and less mysterious compensates in it's sheer power with high-intensity dramatic contrasts.

Symphony 4 is one Karajan never did better than in this 1960's set although some would say it was matched by a later digital record. I can't complain about a single thing here except Karajan's continual insistence to drop the final movement's exposition repeat. Speaking of repeats, yes I know Karajan drops most of Beethoven's repeats which is fine by me except in some cases. He keeps the repeats in the opening movements of Symphonies 1, 5 and 8. He also repeats the exposition in the finale of Symphony 1. Basically he keeps in line with his conducting generation on this matter, which is fine by me. Even with that thought, the short and sweet extra exposition run-through in the final movement of Symphony 4 he should have kept too!

Symphony 5, wow this is a keeper! It is one of the most intense 5ths ever recorded. The opening movement is terrifying, forget about Carlos Kleiber! The only conductor who comes even remotely close to Karajan's fury here is Guilini with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a record from the 1980s. After the grim and powerful opening, Karajan gives his most loving and spacious account of the andante before moving into a precise, impactful scherzo which leads inevitably into the imposing finale. The brass are magnificient throughtout this finale and near the end of the recapitulation there is a massive crash, a huge wall of sound that will pin you back to your seat! That's only if you are in a seat, you might be jumping in the air, waving your invisible baton with a serious case of conductor envy! This is a really macho performance, Karajan delivers one of the best 5ths of all time.

Symphony 6, the Pastoral is smooth-sailing or rather it is smooth-sailing where smooth-sailing is not wanted. The first 2 movements are too fast and too slick. The scherzo of the peasants is done very well, with plenty of unbridled energy but it lacks a crucial repeat which makes this movement incomplete. The storm is ultra dramatic in the best Karajan tradition, you gotta love it. The finale sails along with astounding beauty and grace, so basically the performance has it's many faults but also some merits and the Berlin Philharmonic are on their toes throughout. I saw Karajan's filmed version of the Pastoral on DVD directed by Hugo Niebeling and Karajan has a smile on his face almost the whole time. It's no doubt he loved this music, I just wish his first 2 movements were not as hectic and I wish he kept the repeat in the scherzo. Karajan did later keep the repeat in his 1970's version, but then dropped it again for the digital 1980's version which is his worst Pastoral of all.

Symphony 7, contagious energy and optimism are the hallmarks of this performance. Karajan always conducted in the Toscanini trend of the fast flowing tempo in the allegretto, which bugs me because at a slower speed like that of Furtwangler the allegretto is much more communicative spiritually. In the allegro con brio finale Karajan is barely matched by anyone, he drives the orchestra like a rollercoaster, just the way it should be! Nothing but greatness.

Symphony 8 is a fantastic performance, however I still prefer the later digital "Karajan Gold" 8th over this one. There is nothing remotely wrong with this one, just that the later version sounds even more intense and has digital sound.

Symphony 9, there is still plenty of controversy to go around about which Karajan Ninth is his best. I think the Ninth from the 1970's is slightly ahead of this 60's version but that does not take away anything from this vigorious interpretation which is miles away from the heaven storming spirituality of Furtwangler. Karajan clearly favors Toscanini, so did Szell for instance but whereas Szell can seem cold at times, Karajan is always on fire here. The adagio is more spacious in the 1970's version and that version has a truly volcanic conclusion in the finale's coda. No matter, if you buy this set, you'll still get one of the better Ninths around even though Furtwangler's conception of this music will forever be superior to Karajan's in my mind and in the minds of many music lovers.

In conclusion, this cycle, with it's remastered sound, is the clearest investment if you are looking for a complete set of Beethoven's immortal symphonies. Karajan's digital Eroica is better in my opinion. Also, you might want to get Bruno Walter or Karl Bohm's version of the Pastoral. Karajan's digital Eighth is also slightly better and Karajan's Ninth from 1977 is perhaps finer than the one you're looking at here. If you want more great Ninths, check out Furtwangler in 1942 on Music and Arts and on EMI in 1951. For something more modern, Solti on Decca in 1972. Have fun shopping!

( P.S. I forgot to mention that the Coriolan Overture is also included in this package. It is the first track on the last disc, preceding the Ninth Symphony which begins on track 2. Typically dramatic in the best Karajan tradition, the overture is the icing on the cake of this unbeatable Beethoven collection. )

( P.P.S. March 2007. Upon further listening I have come to the realization that the Ninth included in this set is clearly superior to Karajan's later 1977 Ninth. The sound is much more vibrant in the Ninth here in 1962, Karajan is more thrilling and the singers are far more impressive. Karajan also repeats the first section of the scherzo, something that he didn't do in his later remakes of this symphony. So definitely this 1962 account is superior to the 1977 version and the 1980's version as well, because the 1980's recording lacks the amazing singers that Karajan has here. As far as the Eroica is concerned, my allegiance still lies with the digital Karajan Gold version from the 1980's. )

As sad as this may sound, I have the Complete Beethoven Edition on both vinyl and CD. Yes, I love the richness of my beloved LPs, but the clarity of the CDs also has its merit. For the most part, the differences between the two editions are notable only when you care about a particular piece. If you want to experience Beethoven for all he is worth using your best acoustic resources, then you probably will be able to find better recordings of each individual piece. But if you just want to revel in Beethoven's creative genius as you drive to work or take in a good book, this set will do. All and all the complete edition is worth the money; but keep your old favorites. If you can get a copy of the vinyl, do it.

While I was initially very enthusiastic about this cycle, comparing it with several other sets has drastically reduced my opinion of it. Karajan's tempi cannot be faulted - flowing slow movements and electrifying fast movements; and though he does not take all the repeats, he's not alone in omitting many of them! The only places I find the missing repeats a serious problem are in the scherzos of the Sixth and Seventh Symphonies. And of course, the playing of the Berlin Philharmonic is incredibly beautiful; sometimes the beauty of the playing is beyond belief. The orchestral playing cannot be faulted - or can it?

In my opinion, it can; not in the technical aspect, but in the actual sound produced. Karajan had a very distinctive, unique orchestral sound that he used, basically without modification, for every piece he ever performed. The characteristics of this sound are refined beauty, streamlined, aerodynamic smoothness, and a texture heavily dominated by the strings. While this texture may work for Romantic works by composers such as Bruckner and Mahler, it definitely does not sound right in works of the Classical period, by composers such as Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. Classical works require a leaner, more transparent, sound than the "Karajan Sound." Beethoven, contrary to popular belief, is a CLASSICAL composer, not a Romantic one. A good Beethoven sound requires A) incisive but resonant timpani, B) pure and transparent strings, C) sonorous, powerful brass and D) radiant woodwinds. The Karajan Sound gives us resonant but not especially incisive timpani, in addition to gorgeous but opaque string textures which dominate the rest of the orchestra. Therefore, I think Karajan's sound is inappropriate for Beethoven, and so seriously undermines the performance.

The drawbacks of this sound are apparent in every symphony, in every movement. Take, for example, the first movement of the Ninth. The opening tremolo is ominous but unclear, and when the first subject emerges from the mists, the sound is dominated by those cloying string textures. What makes this especially disappointing is that Karajan is one of the very few people who judge the tempo in this movement correctly - some are too fast (Toscanini), others are too slow (Solti, Bernstein, Davis, Giulini, etc.). Just comparing Karajan with superior performances by a conductor like Klemperer will make my point. In that first movement of the Ninth, Klemperer's opening tremolo is perfectly clear, but is no less ominous or mysterious than Karajan's, and the first subject is given in an ideal blend of brass, timpani and strings. Another particular disappointment is the Allegretto of the Seventh. Karajan is one of the very few to take it at a true, flowing Allegretto, but the overweight string textures ruin it again.

Aside from the drawbacks in the approach, however, this is a great set. As mentioned, the tempos are perfect (with the exception of the Pastoral, a disaster in every way - repeats, texture and tempos), and the orchestra is never less than beautiful. In addition, this Ninth boasts arguably the finest solo quartet on records (Janowitz, Rössel-Majdan, Kmentt and Berry).

The sound is good for the most part, but sometimes sounds hazy and indistinct. The timpani are placed rather far back in the sound spectrum, which is a serious problem, particularly in places like the Scherzo of the Ninth, where the timpani are obviously crucial. Even more serious, though, is the backward balance and shifting perspectives on the chorus in the finale. The presentation in DG's Complete Beethoven Edition is gorgeous, with multiple informative essays and wonderful color reproductions of relevant documents and paintings.

Overall, although these recordings have garnered much acclaim over forty years, I don't think they really justify it. Karajan was never at his best in Classical repertoire. His strengths were the Romantic masters like Bruckner and Strauss, where he pulled off some overwhelming performances. He should also be heard in Puccini. But in Beethoven? I don't think so.

I am still searching for the best Beethoven symphony set. Klemperer (EMI) is very high on the list for his monumental grandeur and glorious orchestra (the Philharmonia), but his set is let down by extremely slow tempi in fast movements (in particular the Scherzos of the Sixth and Ninth and much of the Eighth). Davis (Philips) has wonderful playing, if a bit on the fat side, from the Staatskapelle Dresden, but he falls into the slow tempi trap, which is far more serious here than with Klemperer because Davis doesn't come close to Klemperer's electricity. Toscanini on RCA takes a very fast, intense approach. Karajan's performances have always been called Toscaninian, but I refuse to accept that because Toscanini's lean orchestral texture is on the other side of the spectrum from Karajan's. Toscanini's approach works marvelously in the early symphonies, but his very rigid approach, with an almost total lack of rubato, makes for serious problems in the later symphonies. Barenboim (Teldec) is currently at the top of my list for his wonderful orchestra and superb tempi, in addition to his intense, magisterial conducting. His failing is that he is in many places altogether too eccentric; the opening of the Ninth, for instance, is far too slow to be coherent, while the finale of the Seventh falls apart because of absurd tempo fluctuations. The set that looks most promising to me at the moment is Böhm's Vienna Philharmonic set from the 1970's, where slow tempos are present but are not nearly so much of a problem as in Klemperer and Davis because of Böhm's rhythmic pointing and lyrical incandescence - in addition to a glorious sound from the Vienna Philharmonic that meets all four requirements of the "Beethoven Sound" I listed above. If the rest of the cycle is anything like half as good as his 1971 Pastoral, it will jump to the top of my list!!

For years I always held myself off not to buy any Beethoven album. And I was luckily abble to resist any temptation and good musical sets. But when I heard that DG was about to start to release a 87 cd piece with all Beethovens stuff on it, I surely wanted to have that set. So now Im buying every mounth 1 or 2 parts. The Symphonies is the first one in the box, and so my introduction to the set in its entirely. And I really am not dissapointed till now. The Symphonies are a fabulous piece of musical achievements. Although at first I did not like them all, I was totally taken by several ones, like the second or the 5th, the 7th and especially the 9th. No other man can made such beautifull and swelling music as Beethoven. I have a complete Wagner too, and many other classical recordings. But the drama of Beethoven is unsurpassed. I however have no materials to combine it with, so I dont know if the recordings are good. But concidered the reputation of Karajan, I think wrong is a word we should use. All I know it are good recordings in sound, they sound all very nice and to me its played very smooth. I however have a 9th that was conducted by Bohm, and that one was indeed more slow. That 9th is there 79 min, so I always liked the slow aproach, but I cannot deny that the tightness and the smoothness Karajan is doing them is amazing too.

Too me I always thought no musical composer was such a man of his age as Wagner or Beethoven. They could have been drowned to deep in the romance tub. And the music is expressing this romance time very much, I think therefor the drama in these 2 composers is indeed so extrordinary ans special. To mee they are and always will be the best and greatest musicians that ever lived.

Comparing different versions of the play, this is the best one I could find. It also includes a booklet for the background introduction. If you're a music lover, you should have this one.