Herbert von Karajan - Complete EMI Recordings 1946-1984, Vol. 1: Orchestral [Box set, Enhanced]

Josef Strauss (Composer), Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek (Composer), Johann Strauss II (Composer), Johannes Brahms (Composer), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Richard Strauss (Composer), Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Franz [Vienna] Schubert (Composer), Emmanuel Chabrier (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Composer: Josef Strauss, Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek, Johann Strauss II, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, et al.
• Audio CD (April 1, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 88
• Format: Box set, Enhanced
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000ZBPQEO
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,339 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #11 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Languages > Czech
  • #11 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Reeds & Winds > Bassoon
  • #12 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Symphonies > Sinfonia Concertante

Track Listings

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Priceless, Classic Set, February 27, 2008

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Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Herbert von Karajan - Complete EMI Recordings 1946-1984, Vol. 1: Orchestral (Audio CD)

Simply put, there is a ton of music here -- 88 CDs comprising the complete EMI orchestral recordings of Herbert von Karajan -- all in a box smaller than a pair of shoes. It will take me the better part of the rest of this year to listen to it all, but as I have already heard 3/4 of this music, I'll start with the things that have never appeared previously on CD, or have just been impossible for me to ever find. By my count, those performances add up to more than a dozen disc's worth of material, including some fascinating material like Kurt Leimer's Piano Concertos and Leopold Mozart's Toy Symphony, plus a Schubert 5th, Dvorak 9th, Tchaikovsky 4-6th and Wagner Excerpts from the 50s/60s to compare to his better known 70s accounts, and entire discs of late mono and early stereo orchestral bonbons from the 1950s with the Philharmonia. Of course, it also features some of the greatest renditions of the repertoire ever made -- the Mozart Horn Concertos with Dennis Brain, his first of four Beethoven Cycles, the early stereo Brahms 2nd and "Unfinished," phenomenal Piano Concertos with Lipatti, Gieseking and Weissenberg, the Don Quixote with Rostropovich, and the famous Beethoven Triple with Richter, Oistrakh and Rostropovich. This set is obviously aimed at the most serious of classical music collectors, and if you fit that bill, do yourself a favor -- trade in those old single discs at a used CD store (or better yet, donate them to your local library), save yourself some shelf space, and get this once in a lifetime set.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1 of 2 of the most important boxed sets ever released, May 18, 2008

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Charles Miller "objective clarity" (Baltimore, Maryland U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Herbert von Karajan - Complete EMI Recordings 1946-1984, Vol. 1: Orchestral (Audio CD)

Most people considering this set are probably already familiar with Karajan's work and probably already own quite a few of his EMI recordings. Therefore, there really is no need for me to get into depth with regards to the quality of the conductor's work or the recordings. As previous reviewers have stated, it is at a bare minimum, satisfactory; in most cases excellent.

There was a complaint about the monaural discs, but of course, one must remember that stereo was not a consumer product until the mid-1950s. Does the fact that a work was recorded in mono reduce its validity and importance? Does the fact that Casablanca was filmed in black and white reduce its validity and importance? Obviously, the answer is no.

The real issue here is is it worth spending the money for this set, especially if you already have many of these recordings in the standard jewel case editions? The answer is a resounding yes! Depending on the number of jewel cases you already own, think of the amount of shelf space you will save with this box set. It measures a mere 10 1/2 inches in length, while containing a whopping 88 discs. Donate your old ones to a library, give them to friends, or sell them as "new and used" on Amazon.

There are a few problems with the packaging however. The first being, the discs are packaged in cardboard sleeves, which in turn are in a box, which in turn is slip-cased. You must be very careful when removing the slipcase because if the CDs are not facing up, they can and will fall out into a confusing mess.

The second problem is more problematic: The cardbord sleeves only list the "theme" of the disc (i.e. Disc One: Strauss Waltzes). Even though this set is at a bargain price, one would think that EMI could have given a complete track listing on each sleeve. Yes, there is a booklet that does, but having to refer to it every time you put on a disc is not very convenient.

And good luck finding the CD you want to play as the spines of the covers do not provide any information, not even the disc number. You have to pull them out of the box in roughly the area you want to be in find what you are looking for.

In summary, albeit the couple of packaging issues, this set is very much worth the money (at the time of this writing, $2/disc). It is so very complete and saves so much shelf space. Obviously, Karajan's works during this time period are invaluable.

The second of the two best boxed set ever released is Volume 2, the complete EMI/Karajan operas and vocals recordings.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An awesome classical treasure, April 30, 2008

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Mehran Omaraie (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Herbert von Karajan - Complete EMI Recordings 1946-1984, Vol. 1: Orchestral (Audio CD)

A"MUST HAVE" collection for everyone who seriously loves classical music. There are MONO recordings as well as stereo ones but the sound of mono CDs is very satisfying and in many cases they are like recorded recently. If you are new to classical music, don't worry, there are plenty easy listening classical pieces here and over period of time you will fall in love with the rest of the pieces as well. You will get the opportunity to listen to Karajan rehearsing Mozart symphonies with Berliners and that shows how meticulously Karajan dissects the music piece by piece till the players get "it" right. Many many thanks to EMI for achieving this marvelous project. I gave my old single CDs to local library so others could enjoy the marvelous music conducted by maestro Karajan. With the price offered here, this set is a real deal.