Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 "Pastoral"

Great 5th! Very disappointing 6th.

11/30/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of the 5th is an absolute blast. I own Kleiber, Szell, Edlinger, and Giulini(with the L.A. Phil) versions and like them all. If I could only keep one it would be the Kleiber but Karajan's record sounds better and the reviewer who said he goes "over the top" in places is right, and it's alot of fun. The finale is just amazing. On the other hand, if this recording of the 6th were your first exposure to this masterpiece, you could potentially miss its beauty altogether. Karajan's first Berlin Philharmonic recording of this piece from '62 is sometimes criticized but is not that bad compared to this. Go with Karl Bohm and Bruno Walter."

Karajan records Beethoven again! (It's not bad, though)

David Marsden | Atlanta, GA USA | 09/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I prefer Karajan's 1963 recordings of the Beethoven Symphonies, this particular coupling of the 5th and 6th Symphonies is particularly worth recommending. The listener benefits from the improvement in recording technology as well as the digital recorded format which makes everything a little cleaner to the ear. The playing of the Berlin Philharmonic is as expected: rich, full, and glorious. Karajan does an excellent job with interpretation, though at times goes a little over the top. This may be due to the fact that this recording was made in conjunction with the video releases of the nine symphonies and Karajan may have been playing it up for the cameras. Overall, a great recording.For more information about this recording and others, visit On The Shelf (www.opus18.com/shelf), a website for classical music collectors brought to you by Opus 18 Productions in association with Amazon.com."

Karajan's Fifth is a classic, despite the eccentric Pastoral

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 07/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Karajan was the only conductor to make four complete Beethoven cycles, one for each decade from the Fifties until his death in 1989. Generally his last set, in somewhat steely digital sound, is considered weak. Karajan's preference for orchestral sheen, generalized phrasing, and lack of emotional depth are a puzzling fact toward the end of his illustrious career. Yet there are exceptions, and this Beethoven Fifth is one.



In every respect, down to the timings of each movement, this reading is a carbon copy of his much acclaimed version from the 1963 cycle. For the Karajan Gold edition DG has improved the sound quite a bit, and sonically it stands ahead of the Sixties version, giving it a slight edge. Expect an authoritative, dynamic reading without eccentricities; the finale is explosive, the Scherzo mysterious, just as in prime Karajan.



The Sixth is also a carbon copy of Karajan's earlier reading, down to the timings of every movement, but his view of the Pastorale was always eccentric. He begins very fast, ignoring Beethoven's marking of Allegro ma non troppo, and gliding over the sublime joyousness of the first movement. The brook is flowing too fast in the second movement as well, and the peasants in the Scherzo are sophisticated and nimble on their feet, ruining Beethoven's rustic jokes. Indeed, every movement sounds glib and uninvolved. I've bought four Pastorales from Karajan just to make sure this was his conception, and it was. If you happen to like it, then the remastered digital sound on this CD is better than the flawed analog sound on the 1963 cycle. (Note: that earlier set has been much improved in its most recent update to hybrid SACD.)"