BEETHOVEN: THE NINE SYMPHONIES - KARAJAN, BERLIN PHILHARMONIC (1963 RECORDINGS - 5 CDS)

By general consensus, Herbert von Karajan's first (1963) Beethoven cycle for Deutsche Grammophon is the best of the four (!) that he recorded. The Berlin Philharmonic was in top form, and they had not yet made an artistic fetish out of the bland smoothness that typified the conductor's later recordings of this music (and just about everything else). Karajan's squeaky clean, emotionally cool Beethoven will always be something of an acquired taste, but this set makes the best possible case for it. --David Hurwitz, CLASSICS TODAY

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
CD 1
Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 ‘Eroica’

CD 2
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36
Symphony No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 60

CD 3
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 ‘Pastoral’

CD 4
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93

CD 5
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ‘Choral’

Walter Berry, baritone
Gundula Janowitz, soprano
Waldemar Kmentt, tenor
Hilde Rossi-Majdan, mezzo-soprano

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan