Album

Even though contemporary tastes for the most part have shifted away from lush orchestral versions of Baroque and Classical music, there are some listeners who still prefer to hear the warm, enveloping sound of a modern orchestra and relish hearing the music of Bach, Vivaldi, and Mozart in modern interpretations with modern instruments. This album by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic represents this once widely accepted approach, so the rich string sound of a large ensemble and the generally straightforward playing, without free ornamentation, original instruments, or improvised sections, puts this album in the conventional category that early music purists would avoid. However, Karajan was not wholly against period practices, as his use of a harpsichord and cello continuo makes clear, and his textures in Vivaldi, Gluck, and Mozart are not inordinately thick or heavy. Furthermore, Karajan takes the ubiquitous Pachelbel Canon up-tempo and even follows through with its attached Gigue, a salutory nod to historically informed practice. But this is still far from a period style collection, so listeners are advised to sample it first before committing. Deutsche Grammophon's reproduction is big and spacious, with a rounded ensemble sound.

© Blair Sanderson, Rovi

CD 1
Remo Giazotto Composer Adagio in G- for Violin, Strings, and Organ (previously attributed to Albinoni) Work Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Leon Spierer Violin, David Bell Organ
1	Adagio in G- for Violin, Strings, and Organ (previously attributed to Albinoni)	11:48			$1.99
Antonio Vivaldi Composer 6 Concertos for Flute, 2 Violins, Viola, Organ and Continuo, Op.10...No.2 in G-, RV439 ('La Notte') Work 9:23 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Frank Maus Harpsichord, Andreas Blau Flute
2	1.Largo	3:29			$0.99
3	2.Presto ('Fantasmi')	2:15			$0.99
4	5.Largo ('Il Sonno')	3:39			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Orchestral Suite No.3 in D, BWV1068 (includes 'Air on the G String') Work Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, David Bell Organ
5	2.Air ('On the G String')	6:05			$0.99
Johann Pachelbel Composer Canon and Gigue in D, for 3 violins and continuo ('Pachelbel's Canon'), T.337...Canon and Gigue in D, T.337 (non-string arrangements) Work Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Frank Maus Harpsichord
6	1.Canon	7:09			$1.49
Christoph Willibald von Gluck Composer Orfeo ed Euridice, Wq.30 (opera in 3 acts, Italian version)...Orfeo ed Euridice, Wq.30 (opera in 3 acts, various arrangments) Work Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karlheinz Zoeller Flute
7	Dance of the Blessed Spirits (arr.orch.)	6:50			$0.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Serenade in D, K.239 ('Serenata notturna') Work 13:57 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Emil Maas Violin, Thomas Brandis Violin, Rainer Zepperitz Double Bass, Neithard Resa Viola
8	1.Marcia: Maestoso	4:29			$0.99
9	2.Menuetto. Trio	4:39			$0.99
10	3.Rondeau: Allegretto	4:49			$0.99