Customer Reviews

Herbert von Karajan - Complete EMI Recordings 1946-1984, Vol. 1: Orchestral

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I have listened to most of the CDs. The sound is excellent on almost all CDs, and very good on most others, although that is in part because I am not bothered by older mono recordings unless there is distracting noise. The performances are all very good, and many are outstanding.

With some oversimplification, there are basically three periods of Karajan EMI recordings:
- post-war 1940s with the Vienna Philharmonic (WP)
- 1950s with EMI's own Philharmonia Orchestra (PO - before it broke with EMI much later)
- a few earlier recordings, but mainly 1970s to 1981 with the Berlin Philharmonic (BPO)

There are a small number of recordings that don't fit into this scheme, like some Ravel pieces with the Paris Symphony Orchestra.

Some of the highlights in terms of the contents:
- Karajan's first recorded Beethoven cycle, with the PO from the 1950s
- A complete set of Beethoven's piano concertos from the 1970s with Alexis Weissenberg and the BPO
- An excellent complete Schubert cycle from 1975-77 with the BPO
- All Sibelius symphonies except No. 3 -- there is quite a bit of overlap here between the PO and the BPO
- All Brahms symphonies (PO) except number 3
- A large array of Mozart works (Symphonies 29, 33, 35, 36, 39-41; horn concertos 1-4, Simphonia Concertante and many more)
- The historic Beethoven Triple Concerto with Oistrakh, Rostropovich and Richter
- Tchaikovsky's last three symphonies (two versions each)
- Dvorak's 8th and 9th (New World), plus Slavonic Dances
- Three Bruckner symphonies (4, 7 and 8), all BPO
- Haydn symphonies 83, 101 and 104
- Schumann symphony 4
- A good selection of overtures from Beethoven, Wagner, Rossini and others
- A large set of tone poems and other programmatic orchestral music (Richard Strauss -- sorry, no Zarathustra -- Sibelius, Debussy, Ravel, Bizet, Mussorgsky, Resphigi, Franck and others)
- Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with Peter Ustinov narrating
- A smattering of "moderns", including Stravinsky's "Jeu de Cartes", Vaughan Williams' Tallis Fantasia, Britten, Hindemith's "Mathis der Maler"

Of course this is an incomplete list, but I hope it gives an indication.

If the set is underweighted in any type of music, it might be violin-focused works. Of the standard repertoire violin concertos, only Brahms is present. The Meditation from Thaïs is present as another violin showpiece

The piano fairs better, with the Beethoven set, Tchaikovsky 1, Brahms 2, Rachmaninoff 2, Schumann, Grieg, and two Leimer concertos (including the very interesting concerto for the left hand).

Overall, there is considerable "duplication" in terms of getting the same work multiple times with different orchestras. Most works are included only once, but many are included twice. The repetition gets more pronounced with three versions each of the following pieces:
- Mozart: Symphony 39, the clarinet concerto and "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"
- Sibelius: Symphony 5
- Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 4 and 6 (Pathetique)
- Strauss II: Several waltzes and polkas (4 versions of "Tritsch-Tratsch Polka" is probably the single most superfluous thing about the set)
- Chabrier: Espana Rhapsody (also 4 versions!)

If you want to know more about individual recordings, here's a tip: do a search for "Karajan EMI" in the Amazon search engine. The reviews of EMI CDs conducted by Karajan will hopefully tell you all you need to know about the individual recordings. If it's ever been available by Karajan on EMI, it will either be in this set or in the companion set Karajan 100th - Volume 2, Opera and Vocals.

I bought this set at a time when I was starting to rebuild a classical CD collection after years of neglect and other interests. I would recommend it absolutely for anyone building their classical collection from scratch or almost scratch, although obviously if you have most of Karajan's best EMI recordings you might well not need this at all. If you don't have any Karajan EMI recordings -- I didn't -- this is a tremendous bargain and a big jump start to a nice collection of music.

I can only echo the extravagant praise of my fellow Amazon.com reviewers. This box, which contains literally everything Karajan recorded for EMI in Vienna, London and Berlin from the 1940's through the early '80's, and its companion volume, which features all of Karajan's opera/vocal recordings for this label, provide a unique opportunity to hear, enjoy and assess the developing career of a great artist. Karajan was arguably the most important conductor since Furtwängler and Toscanini, and we are fortunate that he made so many recordings on various labels. The EMI recordings, many of them from relatively early in his career, are arguably his finest from an interpretive point of view. It is quite instructive to compare the leaner and more incisive sound Karajan elicited from his ensembles in the earlier phase of his career, with the more bloated textures he created with the BPO (and, to a lesser extent, from the VPO) during his later period. Though no admirer of von Karajan would want to be without his greatest efforts for DG, the early EMI recordings convey an elemental vigor and cogency that are only fitfully recaptured in his DG recordings. Interestingly, many of the later EMI recordings included here (such as the Sibelius symphonies from the late stereo/early digital era) are superior both sonically and interpretively to his DG recordings from the same period, further confirming my hunch that Karajan did his best work for EMI.

Of course any anthology of this kind will have its ups and downs, both from an interpretive and a sonic point of view. So, for instance the heady excitement of his early Mozart recordings with the VPO is somewhat dulled by indifferent monaural recordings. Nor is Karajan's first Beethoven cycle with the Philharmonia as perceptive as his classic 1963 cycle with the BPO for DG, superbly played though it is. But one should not make too much of these comparisons in light of the consistently high standard of excellence found in this 88-CD set, to say nothing of its status as one of the most extraordinary bargains ever offered by a major label (less than two dollars per CD from many sellers on this website). Certainly there are many great performances here, including at least four which in my estimation have never been surpassed: a monaural Vaughan Williams "Tallis Fantasia" and Britten "Frank Bridge Variations" with the Philharmonia, a Bruckner Seventh with the BPO from 1971 and an early digital Sibelius Sixth, also with the BPO. Some of the early VPO performances are particularly incandescent (Beethoven's Fifth and Ninth, for instance).

In addition to symphonic repertoire this box also contains numerous overtures and lighter fare, all done to a turn. Concertante works abound, featuring such estimable soloists as Dennis Brain (in his famous account of the Mozart Horn Concerti), Dinu Lipatti (in Mozart's Concerto no. 21), Alexis Weissenberg (in the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos), Oistrakh Richter and Rostropovich (in the Beethoven "Triple Concerto"), James Galway (in the first Mozart flute concerto), etc. But of course it would be impossible to list everything of merit in this set. I have owned at one time or another, in various formats, about half of these recordings. I am gradually making my way through those with which I am unfamiliar, and am finding that my appreciation of Karajan is enhanced with virtually every new acquaintance. I am also impressed by the quality of the digital transfers of material which I had previously heard only on LP (or in previous CD incarnations). I'm not certain whether EMI has gone to the trouble of securing new remasterings in every case, but the sound seems better focused overall, with minimal tape hiss and a better sense of space around the instruments than before. Of course, nothing much can be done to improve the dry string timbres in some of the earliest mono recordings.

In sum, then, this collection is unmissable-- whether you are a Karajan fan or a listener interested in the history of conducting and twentieth-century orchestral performance practice. Since the range of repertoire is extraordinarily broad--from Vivaldi to Bartók-- this box could also serve as something like a comprehensive introduction to the standard repertoire for a beginner in classical music. Purchase it as a gift for a music student, or donate one to your local public or college library.

And while you're at it, don't forget to order the companion box containing dozens of operas ranging from Mozart to Strauss, plus a number of choral masterpieces (Bach Mass in B Minor, Beethoven Missa Solemnis, Haydn's Seasons, Brahms's German Requiem). You can obtain both boxes for less than it will probably cost you to keep your SUV on the road for a month. Walk, ride a bicycle or carpool--and then save the money for this extraordinary opportunity before it fades from view.

Although it will take me weeks to finish listening to this set, I am very glad that EMI issued this set at such a low price. Many of these recordings are legendary, others are von Karajan's first recordings of symphonies that he would record again and again. While I have his complete Bruckner, Beethoven and Brahms on DG, in is interesting to hear his earlier thoughts--and they are often splendid.
I am not bothered by the mono recordings; they were produced by Walter Legge and are warmer than many a digital recording that I have purchased. Legge was initially opposed to stereo and lavished they same detail on his mono productions as on his later, stereo recordings.
What I have enjoyed most so far are some of the discs which were unavailable in the US, and some of the discs that I may not have considered had they been full price. But at $1.50 a disc, this set allows me to explore discs that I would not normally acquire. Given the overall quality of the conducting, recordings and the Philharmonia Orchestra, it is the CD bargain of the decade.

There's no questioning the value of the recordings on this set. No questioning the sound either - many of these recordings have been remastered and sound better than ever.

HOWEVER - I recommend you check the components of this set as soon as you buy it.

First, some sets come with an incomplete track listing booklet. This is really inexcusable in a set where one has ONLY the booklet as a source for what music is on the individual CDs. The CD booklet SHOULD have 86 pages. The one in my set had only 70 pages and had no listing for the contents of CDs 87 nor 88. The 71st page of the 86-page booklet lists the contents of CD 87. In addition, pages 72-74 (missing in the booklet in my set) give the contents of CD 88 (the documentary), and pages 75-86 include a brief essay by Richard Osborne titled "Karajan and EMI"(in English, German, French).

Also, the track listing for CD 47 is incomplete - the CD opens with Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, but the booklet is missing the Composer name/Title and the first three movements. Sloppy, sloppy production!

To be missing this important info is really a bummer.

Next, my set came with TWO copies of CD#56 and was MISSING CD#55. An e-mail to EMI requesting they send me a replacement CD and a complete booklet engendered a "sorry, but you need to contact your retailer" response. This is really unacceptable, because there's a good chance that my retailer is going to have a whole stack of sets with the same booklet problem (I might get lucky on the missing CD 55!), and that the retailer is going to ask me to return the whole set for replacement. That means that I will probably receive yet another defective set.

Unfortunately, these production/packing problems serve only to reinforce EMI's reputation as being the company that makes Every Mistake Possible.

On Edit: 4/20/9 - Well, I returned the original copy to [...] for a refund and reordered from Amazon.com. I'm happy to report that everything seems to be in order with the merchandise I received from Amazon. Both sets were produced in Holland, and maybe that's the reason that they are OK. I have a feeling the sets from Tower were produced by Capital in the USA.

So, buy this set from Amazon, and you'll be OK.

I am not even going to attempt any intelligent criticism of Karajan...but in my opinion this is probably the single greatest box set ever released, a simply jaw-dropping amount of material from one of the world's greatest conductors. No, you do not have to listen to it all at once -- this will be a lifelong companion. And it's not all symphonies either -- plenty of piano concertos, harp, flute, woodwinds here as well.

As for the complaints about the packaging -- seriously guys, get real. The sleeves are high quality, they fit in the box nicely, and the graphic design of the entire package is very understated and classy. Yes, I suppose if you open the thing upside down it could make a mess. But if this is what it takes to bring the price down to (at this writing) less than $2.00 a disc, then so be it. EMI are my heroes for putting out this set. My word -- you think getting well over 100 hours of some of the greatest classical music ever recorded would make people happy. Maybe if it were priced at $379.00 people would have a point. I used to pay $100 for a single Criterion Collection laserdisc. But let's not dwell upon the economics. The real point here is that you now have no excuse not to dive head first into the world of classical music.

I would give this box set about the highest rating I have ever given a single product on Amazon.com.

There will be many listeners (especially baby boomers, like me) who first heard large chunks of the standard repetoire on DG records featuring Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. Slightly older listeners may have earlier encountered Karajan and the Philharmonia, although i suspect that one would have had to be born in the '20s - and probably in Germany or Austria - to have heard Karajan at teh time of his first recordings.

For those who fit into the above categories can all loudly applaud EMI though, as they will all be able to re-live memories of these recordings. I was thrilled to have newly mastered performances on CD of old LPs that I had worn out long ago, and to have so many of them in one box is just great.

Further, there is proof that once Karajan had set himself a way of approaching each work, his vision remained fairly consistent over the years. Even those who deride Karajan's approach can learn from this set. There are multiple performances of the same work recorded decades apart, mainly with either Vienna Phil, Berlin Phil, or the Philharmonia Orchestras

This immense 88CD set is so inexpensive, that it would be a crime not to buy it!

EMI has been releasing a great many ambitious box sets lately, some devoted to specific composers with as many as 30 CDs, but this dwarfs them all (except for the Maria Callas tome), and I'm just talking about volume one, the orchestral collection. Was i glad to see it done? Certainly! Do I wish that a little more care had gone into the planning and execution? Heartily!

The idea is a fine one, assembling all of Karajan's official EMI orchestral recordings in one package, and remastering many of them once again. But the execution is amateurish -- the paltry booklet giving the tracklist for each CD has no index, so if you are, say, only interested at a particular moment in hearing Karajan's interpretations of Johann Strauss II or Liszt, or even Bruckner (or any other composer, for that matter), get ready to turn a lot of pages and make lots of notes of disc numbers. Second, given that this is a 2008 release, the CDs aren't even title readout encoded (or whatever they call the function that displays the title of the piece as you play it, along with running time etc.), which is now pretty much standard.

And finally -- and I'm wondering if anyone else has run into this problem with this or any other of these EMI mega-sets, of Karajan, Callas, Vaughan Williams etc. -- a third of the CDs among the first dozen in this box (and the Vaughan Williams set) would not boot-up/scan/play properly in my player; some were perfect, but four of the first twelve cycled and cycled and spun a while but would not play, and two would only start in the middle of the disc (though they all did work fine on my Mac and in my all-region DVD player, but that's not what I have them for, or where I want to use them); I had two other box sets on my listening shelf the same evening from Universal, both Europe and Japan; and one from Sony US (an "original jackets" box), and every one of those discs played perfectly, without a hitch or a glitch.

Maybe at a retail price point of under $3 a disc it's too much to expect that this kind of box is much more than an ornament for a living room, the CD equivalent of a coffee table book -- "a set for people who don't listen to CDs" is how the best classical retailer I know in New York describes it.

Oh, and I will admit that the sound on what I've heard is fine, with the early Vienna recordings a marked improvement over some prior issues. But the producers of this set still have a very long way to go to fulfill its promise and potential; and as is all-too-often the case with these big CD (and DVD) sets, someone in the art department is making life very difficult for the purchaser -- in this instance, someone should have told the appropriate people at EMI, yes, keep it simple but don't neglect the bloody obvious, either! Meanwhile, I still listen to the late mono and the stereo parts of the Karajan EMI library on my late 1980's CDs of this same material, organized conveniently on a normal shelf, easy-to-find etc.