Schubert: Symphony No. 8 - Unfinished / Symphony No. 9 - The Great (Karajan Edition)

Franz [Vienna] Schubert (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Composer: Franz [Vienna] Schubert
• Audio CD (February 18, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000002S89
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #460,199 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW., June 28, 2000

By 

Jeffrey Anbinder "Beeeej" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schubert: Symphony No. 8 - Unfinished / Symphony No. 9 - The Great (Karajan Edition) (Audio CD)

I've known Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony since I was a little kid, and it's always been one of my favorite classical works. But until I bought this disc, I never really *experienced* it.



Karajan's interpretation is very different from most of the others in that it's much, *much* slower. Maintaining the enormous energy level required for this symphony over a significantly *longer* period of time by playing it slowly - and startlingly evenly - is an amazing feat, and Karajan's ability to draw this performance out of these musicians demonstrates his genius.



My experiences listening to this recording have been visceral, primal, and purely powerful. That's an awful lot to say for a piece of music.

15 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars nice clean interpretation, July 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Schubert: Symphony No. 8 - Unfinished / Symphony No. 9 - The Great (Karajan Edition) (Audio CD)

Karajan's this CD is one of the best interpretation of schubert's unfinished. It has depth and serenity of this symphony. His no.9 changed my view. I never like 'The great' But now I understand what Schubert intended. Especially trio part of third movement is so beautiful that I almost cried. You will never regret buying this CD.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Karajan when he's merely proficient, October 6, 2005

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Schubert: Symphony No. 8 - Unfinished / Symphony No. 9 - The Great (Karajan Edition) (Audio CD)

Karajan seemingly could conduct anything, and he has a Schubert Unfinished on DG, in somewhat scrappier sonics than this EMI remake, which sounds committed. Not this one, though. When he was uninvolved, Karajan still kept the proceedings efficient and crisp, and the Berlin Phil. executes all the notes with disciplined expertness.

But Schubert is a special composer, one whose charm is mixed with a fragile poignany, and these performances miss both those qualities. If you want to hear the Schubert 8th and 9th run thorugh the Karajan machinery, this is the CD for you. I should add that his whole Schubert cycle is similarly impersonal.