Search - Franz Liszt, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms :: Karajan 2008 [CD+DVD+Bonus CD]

Not enough bang for the buck

Charles A. Miller | Baltimore, Maryland U.S.A. | 11/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The musical material contained within this release deserves 5 stars. The insanely high price tag rates 1 star. Since the music outweighs the pricing, 4 stars overall.



First off, it is not a "box" as described by Amazon, but rather, a book with 2 CDs and 1 DVD mounted on the inside front and back covers. The packaging is rather nice actually, but the information contained within is rather slim. It mainly describes the DG Karajan Centennial releases and is repeated in various languages, taking up most of the pages. There are also some very good, high definition photographs and a timeline of the conductor's career (mainly with regards to his relationship with DG).



Considering the cost of this release, DG would have created a better product had they produced different language versions or added more pages to better describe the Karajan years with the label.



CD One:

Here is the heart of the matter; two previously unheard recordings, filled out with an excellent remastered Brahms Symphony No. 4 from the 1960s cycle. The Liszt is a revelation. The Bach may not be authentic, but no one did "big orchestra" Baroque better than Karajan. With an open mind, this should take its place alongside original intrument recordings as a change of pace. This disc features material that is worthy of considerable replay due to the variety and sound quality contained within. It is however, along with the DVD, available in a significantly less expensive package.



CD Two:

Here is the true "bonus" of the set as it was not released in any other form as is the case with the remainder of the set. One movement from a symphony is followed by a relevant spoken word with Karajan. This format continues throughout the disc. While not essential, it certainly is an interesting concept and worth listening too. The track listing is very wrong however, and should be as follows:

[1] Beethoven: Symphony No. 7: Allegretto (1962)

[2] Interview in German with Joachim Kaiser on Beethoven (1977)

[3] Beethoven: Symphony No. 7: Allegretto (1977)

[4] Interview in English with Robert Osborne on Beethoven (1977)

[5] Interview in French with Micheline Banzet on Brahms (1964)

[6] Brahms: Symphony No. 2: Allegretto non troppo (date not provided)

[7] Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Spring: Rehearsal of the 1st movement (date not provided)

[8] Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Spring: Allegro (date not provided)



DVD:

A sampler of newly released Unitel films of Karajan performances mainly from the 1970s. Other than a complete Beethoven Symphony No. 5, these feature only one movement from each of the works, but also gives the viewer the perfect opportunity to choose which complete performances to purchase. As a standalone disc, the excerpts do not necessarily make for repetition.



Overall, this product could have been significantly better than it is. Again, the price is very high for what you get and since it serves mainly as an advertisement for other DG Karajan 2008 releases, should have been made more affordable to attract a wider audience.



Additionally, the book format missed the mark with too much in the way of promotion of the other releases available to celebrate the Karajan Centennial. More in the way of photographs and/or text that is not so promotion-specific would have been welcomed. This was a missed opportunity.



The potential purchaser should be aware of these issues regarding this release as stated above. It is something that could have been great, but isn't, however, still has considerable appeal with regards to some of the unique material contained within and the slick presentation."