Album

Is the 1963 Herbert von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic cycle the greatest set of the Beethoven symphonies ever recorded? It might be. No one would argue that Karajan was at the peak of his ability in 1963, that the polish of his performance and the depth of his interpretation was as great as the greatest conductors of his generation. No one would argue that the Berlin Philharmonic was not only one of the two or three greatest European orchestras, but that its partnership with Karajan was at its most fruitful in the early '60s. And no one would argue that DG's early-'60s sound was marvelous and that this 1997 digital remastering restores and even improves the original. So it might be. Their First is light and lithesome. Their Second is massively muscled and highly athletic. Their Third is strong thewed and large hearted. Their Fourth is lyrical and elegant. Their Fifth is tough, hard, fast, and fabulous. Their Seventh dances and sings. Their Eighth is funny and exhilerating. Their Ninth is just about as great a Ninth as one will ever hear. Only their too-quick Sixth is less than magnificent, but then, almost every contemporary conductor's Sixth is too quick. Is this the greatest cycle of the Beethoven symphonies ever recorded? It very well could be.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.1 in C, Op.21 Work Recorded 1961 25:07 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Adagio molto. Allegro con brio	9:34			$1.49
2	2.Andante cantabile con moto	5:53			$0.99
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace	3:58			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Adagio. Allegro molto e vivace	5:42			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.3 in Eb, Op.55 ('Eroica') Work Recorded 1962 49:57 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	1.Allegro con brio	14:45			$2.49
6	2.Marcia funebre: Adagio assai	17:06			$2.99
7	3.Scherzo: Allegro vivace	5:46			$0.99
8	4.Finale: Allegro molto	12:20			$1.99
CD 2 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.2 in D, Op.36 Work 31:05 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Adagio molto. Allegro con brio	10:19			$1.99
2	2.Larghetto	10:35			$1.99
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro	3:52			$0.99
4	4.Allegro molto	6:19			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.4 in Bb, Op.60 Work Recorded 1962 30:57 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	1.Adagio. Allegro vivace	9:52			$1.49
6	2.Adagio	9:58			$1.49
7	3.Menuetto: Allegro vivace. Trio: Un poco meno allegro	5:43			$0.99
8	4.Allegro ma non troppo	5:24			$0.99
CD 3 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.5 in C-, Op.67 Work Recorded 1962 31:06 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Allegro con brio	7:17			$1.49
2	2.Andante con moto	10:01			$1.99
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro	4:54			$0.99
4	4.Allegro	8:54			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.6 in F, Op.68 ('Pastoral') Work Recorded 1962 35:46 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)	9:02			$1.49
6	2.Andante molto mosso: Szene am Bach (Scene by the brook)	11:30			$1.99
7	3.Allegro: Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Merry gathering of country folk)	3:00			$0.99
8	4.Allegro: Donner. Sturm (Thunder, storm)	3:25			$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)	8:49			$1.49
CD 4 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.7 in A, Op.92 Work Recorded 1962 33:56 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1	1.Poco sostenuto. Vivace	11:25			$1.99
2	2.Allegretto	8:02			$1.49
3	3.Scherzo: Presto	7:50			$1.49
4	4.Finale: Allegro con brio	6:39			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.8 in F, Op.93 Work Recorded 1962 26:24 Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
5	1.Allegro vivace e con brio	9:22			$1.49
6	2.Allegretto scherzando	3:57			$0.99
7	3.Tempo di menuetto	5:56			$0.99
8	4.Allegro vivace	7:09			$1.49
CD 5 of 5
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.9 in D-, Op.125 ('Choral') Work Recorded 1962 1:06:46 Hilde Rossel-Majdan Contralto, Herbert von Karajan Conductor, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Gundula Janowitz Soprano, Wiener Singverein Chorus/Choir, Walter Berry Bass, Waldemar Kmentt Tenor
1	1.Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso	15:28			$2.49
2	2.Scherzo: Molto vivace. Presto	11:00			$1.99
3	3.Adagio molto e cantabile	16:25			$2.99
4	4.Presto. Allegro assai ('Ode to Joy'; complete)	6:22			$0.99
5	4b.O Freunde, nicht diese Töne! - 4h.Prestissimo (end)	17:31			$2.99