Beethoven: Symphonie No. 9 [1983] (1984)

by Agnes Baltsa (alto), Janet Perry (soprano), José van Dam (bass), Vinson Cole (tenor), Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (choir, chorus), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan (conductor)

Admirers of Herbert von Karajan have four Beethoven symphony cycles to choose from, and out of these, his 1962-1963 recordings are almost universally praised, with the rendition of the Symphony No. 9 in D minor singled out as one of this conductor's greatest achievements. Over 20 years later, Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra took on the Ninth again, in this digital recording that would be his last statement for Deutsche Grammophon of this great symphony. By this time in his career, Karajan was a legend and he ... Read More

Admirers of Herbert von Karajan have four Beethoven symphony cycles to choose from, and out of these, his 1962-1963 recordings are almost universally praised, with the rendition of the Symphony No. 9 in D minor singled out as one of this conductor's greatest achievements. Over 20 years later, Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra took on the Ninth again, in this digital recording that would be his last statement for Deutsche Grammophon of this great symphony. By this time in his career, Karajan was a legend and he could ask anything of the BPO, so in this performance he emphasized the polished sound of the orchestra rather more than the energy and excitement of the music. However, Deutsche Grammophon's reproduction reflects the limitations of early digital technology, with a shallow surface quality and overly bright sonorities, so perhaps what Karajan created and heard in the orchestral sound is not preserved in this CD. ~ Blair Sanderson, Rovi Read Less