Album

In light of the "chill-out" trend of the 1990s, major labels released many albums of slow, meditative pieces to appeal to listeners who wanted relaxing or reflective background music. Deutsche Grammophon's vaults are full of exceptional recordings of classical orchestral music, and the performances by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic are prominent in the label's catalog. The slow selections on Karajan: Adagio are in most cases drawn from larger compositions, though these movements are frequently anthologized as if they were free-standing works. Indeed, many have come to think of the Adagietto from Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 as a separate piece in its own right, largely because of its evocative use in the film Death in Venice. Furthermore, the famous Canon by Johann Pachelbel is seldom played with its original companion piece, the Gigue in D major, let alone in its original version for three violins and continuo; it most often appears in an arrangement for strings. All the versions on this album are fully orchestral, and the Berlin Philharmonic under Karajan plays with a full-bodied sound that casual classical fans will enjoy, even if early music purists will find some tracks too lush for their tastes. The sound of this CD is excellent, and even though the recordings are a mix of ADD and DDD reproduction, there is no detectable analog hiss or deficiency of quality.

© Blair Sanderson, Rovi

CD 1
Gustav Mahler Composer Symphony No.5 in C#- Work Recorded 1973 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	4.Adagietto. Sehr langsam	11:55			$1.99
Johann Pachelbel Composer Canon and Gigue in D, for 3 violins and continuo ('Pachelbel's Canon'), T.337 Work Recorded 1983 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
2	1.Canon	5:09			$0.99
Jules Massenet Composer Thaïs (opera)...Act 2 Work Recorded 1967 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
3	7.Méditation	6:04			$0.99
Johannes Brahms Composer Symphony No.3 in F, Op.90 Work Recorded 1988 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
4	2.Andante	8:15			$1.49
Antonio Vivaldi Composer Sinfonia al Santo Sepolcro, sonata for 2 violins, viola and continuo, RV169 Work Recorded 1970 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	1.Adagio molto	3:33			$0.99
Edvard Grieg Composer Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46 Work Recorded 1982 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
6	2.Aases død (The Death of Åse)	4:40			$0.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Divertimento in Bb for 2 Horns and Strings, K.287 Work Recorded 1987 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
7	4.Adagio	7:21			$1.49
Remo Giazotto Composer Adagio in G- for Violin, Strings, and Organ (previously attributed to Albinoni) Work Recorded 1983 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Leon Spierer Violin, David Bell Organ
8	Adagio in G- for Violin, Strings, and Organ (previously attributed to Albinoni)	11:50			$1.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.7 in A, Op.92 Work Recorded 1983 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
9	2.Allegretto	7:47			$1.49
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Orchestral Suite No.3 in D, BWV1068 (includes 'Air on the G String') Work Recorded 1983 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, David Bell Organ
10	2.Air ('On the G String')	6:05			$0.99
Jean Sibelius Composer Kuolema (Death, I), Op.44 Work Recorded 1984 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, David Bell Organ
11	1.Valse triste	6:08			$0.99