Album

Herbert von Karajan's 1984 set of Ludwig van Beethoven's nine symphonies was the fourth complete set he had recorded, and its reception among critics was mixed. Usually ranked below Karajan's famous 1962-1963 set, to which many listeners give top honors among all recordings of Beethoven symphonies, this late cycle has a bright and incisive orchestral sound and seems to have a nervous edge, but because the tempos are in many instances slower and the pacing is variable, it lacked the urgency and excitement of the earlier performances. By the time of this recording, Karajan was long regarded as a legend, and he was highly respected in his relationship with the Berlin Philharmonic, if not openly revered, so the playing is first-rate and the conductor was able to get anything he asked from his players. Even so, these performances have won relatively few admirers among his fans. The performances were digitally recorded and Deutsche Grammophon's sound has a shallow surface quality common to early digital recordings.

© Blair Sanderson, Rovi

CD 1 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.1 in C, Op.21 Work Recorded 1984 26:23 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Adagio molto. Allegro con brio	10:11			$1.99
2	2.Andante cantabile con moto	6:24			$0.99
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace	3:56			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Adagio. Allegro molto e vivace	5:52			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.2 in D, Op.36 Work Recorded 1984 31:14 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	1.Adagio molto. Allegro con brio	10:32			$1.99
6	2.Larghetto	10:20			$1.99
7	3.Scherzo: Allegro	3:55			$0.99
8	4.Allegro molto	6:27			$0.99
CD 2 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.3 in Eb, Op.55 ('Eroica') Work Recorded 1984 48:43 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Allegro con brio	14:10			$2.49
2	2.Marcia funebre: Adagio assai	16:07			$2.99
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro vivace	6:08			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Allegro molto	12:18			$1.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Egmont (incidental music, after Goethe's play), Op.84 Work Recorded 1985 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	1.Overture: Sostenuto, ma non troppo. Allegro	8:05			$1.49
CD 3 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.4 in Bb, Op.60 Work Recorded 1983 31:35 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Adagio. Allegro vivace	10:17			$1.99
2	2.Adagio	9:37			$1.49
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro vivace. Trio: Un poco meno allegro	5:57			$0.99
4	4.Allegro ma non troppo	5:44			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.7 in A, Op.92 Work Recorded 1983 33:01 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	1.Poco sostenuto. Vivace	11:19			$1.99
6	2.Allegretto	7:45			$1.49
7	3.Scherzo: Presto	7:30			$1.49
8	4.Finale: Allegro con brio	6:27			$0.99
CD 4 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.5 in C-, Op.67 Work Recorded 1982 30:15 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Allegro con brio	7:22			$1.49
2	2.Andante con moto	9:21			$1.49
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro	4:49			$0.99
4	4.Allegro	8:43			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.6 in F, Op.68 ('Pastoral') Work Recorded 1982 34:27 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	1.Allegro ma non troppo: Angenehme, heitere Empfindungen, welche bei der Ankunft (Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the countryside)	9:09			$1.49
6	2.Andante molto mosso: Szene am Bach (Scene by the brook)	10:25			$1.99
7	3.Allegro: Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Merry gathering of country folk)	3:09			$0.99
8	4.Allegro: Donner. Sturm (Thunder, storm)	3:23			$0.99
9	5.Allegretto: Hirtengesang. Wohltätige, mit Dank and die Goltheit verbundene Gefühle nach dem Sturm (Shepherds' song. Beneficent feelings with thanks to the Godhead after the storm)	8:21			$1.49
CD 5 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.8 in F, Op.93 Work Recorded 1984 26:18 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Allegro vivace e con brio	9:01			$1.49
2	2.Allegretto scherzando	4:05			$0.99
3	3.Tempo di menuetto	6:01			$0.99
4	4.Allegro vivace	7:11			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Coriolan Overture, Op.62 Work Recorded 1985 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	Coriolan Overture, Op.62	8:35			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Fidelio Overture, Op.72c Work Recorded 1985 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
6	Fidelio Overture, Op.72c	6:53			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Leonora Overture No.2, Op.72a Work Recorded 1985 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
7	Leonora Overture No.2, Op.72a	13:58			$2.49
CD 6 of 6
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.9 in D-, Op.125 ('Choral') Work Recorded 1983 1:06:15 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Janet Perry Soprano
1	1.Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso	15:35			$2.49
2	2.Scherzo: Molto vivace. Presto	10:26			$1.99
3	3.Adagio molto e cantabile	15:54			$2.49
4	4.Presto. Allegro assai ('Ode to Joy'; complete)	6:07			$0.99
5	4b.O Freunde, nicht diese Töne! - 4h.Prestissimo (end)	18:13			$2.99