Classical music reviews

This is the 8th symphony from the final Karajan cycle and man oh man, does this baby breath fire or what in Karajan's still capable hands! Unlike the latter-day wimpy period instrument and historically informed conductors of this symphony, nicknamed sometimes as Beethoven's little symphony, Karajan does not play anything down, he is with Beethoven every step of the way. Karajan utilizes the full sized Berlin Philharmonic orchestral apparatus and it's apparent right from the get go as the opening sounds much more grandiose than any other 8th you've ever encountered. Karajan even tops his earlier accounts. The development section of the opening movement is absolutely stunning and gives you a dramatic fever rush. Just compare this to Bernstein or Rattle or God help us, Abbado! Karajan beats them all hands down. The symphony continues on in this very positive manner and the finale shines through exceptionally.

It's quite rare for Beethoven's 8th to be the featured work on a CD. The symphony is only 25 minutes long so you get 3 awesome overtures to fill the gap so to speak and give you your money's worth. You better believe you get your money's worth because the Coriolan Overture is grim and brutal, tragically intense and reminded me of the great Furtwangler's wartime account of this C Minor score. It is a super heated drama in eight and a half minutes, Karajan does it proud. The Fidelio Overture is also outstanding, but the final selection on this disc is the Leonore Overture 3 and it is a major highlight of this record. Karajan seems to judge perfectly here and I was involved all the way through it's 14 minute length. The coda is utterly electrifying, if you are familiar with this Overture, you know what I'm talking about, but you haven't heard it until you hear this superb rendition. Karajan seems to lift the entire string section into the stratosphere, violins, violas, cellos and all until a huge fortissimo burst out across the entire orchestra and that energy is carried right to the conclusion. Great composing by Ludwig Van Beethoven, great conducting by Herbert Von Karajan.

Karajan's recording of Beethoven's Symphony 8 in F Major, is one of the strongest entries in his final recording of this repertoire with the Berlin Philharmonic for DG. Karajan was in his late 76 when this was recorded in 1984 and his control of the orchestra is always evident. He had already recorded Beethoven 8 with Berlin twice: 1962, 1976 (both for DG) and with the Philharmonia, a London orchestra, in the mid 1950s for EMI (mono recording).

I,II and IV of Symphony 8 are excellent, but sometimes the Berlin brass - beautiful as they are - sound almost too perfect, and they really blare through out of balance with the strings and woodwinds at times; perhaps it's the digital recording, and venue: the Philharmonie in Berlin, considered by some experts to be definitely inferior to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam or Musikvereinsalle in Vienna as a recording location. There is a slight reverb, but sometimes the strings sound too close to me: in your face, and the playing in fast passages very aggressive.
III, marked "Minuetto" is played at a slow tempo, but I find Karajan ponderous here. IV goes almost too fast for my taste.
So I can recommend the Symphony, with some reservations. If you must have Karajan, go for either the 1962 or 1976 DG recordings, available in complete cycles. The 1962 is on SACD if you're an audiophile. (I'm not, and have not heard the SACD release). I prefer recordings by Karl Bohm/Vienna Philharmonic (DG), Solti/Chicago (London), and Ormandy/Philadelphia (Sony) for Beethoven's 8th Symphony.

Karajan's recording of the Overtures is another matter: excellent playing and sound never leave the listener in doubt of his total authority in these three works: Overtures to FIDELIO, and CORIOLAN; and LEONORE III. These are not the same recordings as those with Karajan's Galleria set of Overtures (2 CDs, rec. 1960s/70s) which are analog recordings. The 3 Overtures on this disc are digital recordings, and have great sound.

The Eigth Symphony is not Beethoven's most popular. The Fifth and the Ninth are the greatest. Coming in at number three would be the Sixth Symphony and number four the Eroica Symphony Number 3 in my opinion. But the Eigth is still romantic and lighter in mood than all his other works, even the dance-like Seventh. It is said that the opening movement is dedicated to the invetor of the metronome, a device that counts the beat of a meter and a useful instrument to Beethoven. Certainly, the Eigth is a mere whisper next to the powerful cry of the Ninth that followed it.

On this recording, Karajan conducts his beloved Berlin Philharmonic, in a great performance. Yes, Karajan was much older. It was the 80's, the final decade of his life. But even if he is not as passionate or as dynamic as he was in his youth, the Berlin Philharmonic is doing a terrific job. Karajan worked well with younger people and his intensity and vigor, which even in his old age did'nt entirely burn out, seemed to relate to the younger people. The Eigth on here is really good. It's highly recommended for any fan of Beethoven and particularily of Karajan's take on Beethoven. Although today's Sir Simon Rattle, who conducts the Berlin Philharmonic today, is superior in my opinion when it comes to Beethoven symphonies, Karajan holds his own. He is a great role model for conductors today.

What a pity that this CD recording of Beethoven's Third Symphony by Barbirolli and the BBC Symphony has gone out of print! Since it was first selected as a Critic's Choice of the month, in the old Stereo Review (U.S.A.) magazine (issued then on LP); it has continued to be one of my favorites. Of course, the famous broadness of tempo that Sir John could occasion obtains here. But he makes his slower tempo serve many purposes, from being able to emphasize the sforzando markings on a wide and differentiated dramatic scale, to being able to conjure orchestral textures of whispering gossamer lightness. All of these various extremes would serve no purposes if the maestro were simply showing off his conducting abilities; but instead, Barbirolli inspires his players to dig deeply into the shadows and lights of this revolutionary symphony. Barbirolli unfolds the whole panorama of our human existential situation ... Kierkegaardian, if you will ..., tragically characterizing all without sentimentality. Even with all the great and serious drama that Barbirolli brings to the symphony, it still has more than enough warm human-heartedness to draw us into the ascending and expanding spirits of that sort of music Beethoven was to eventually reveal in mystic perfection in his late works. Thus, if you are only a fan of the modern, period-instrument approaches to Beethoven .... all fleet drama, and quicksilvered insight, ... this performance will gall you. On the other hand, it represents a different approach to the matters at hand. And taken seriously, it offers other deeps and darks of spiritual resourcefulness, hardly connoted in the period-band styles that have taken center-stage for standards of Beethoven performance nowadays. So, if you can find this among the neglected treasures of some used CD store, my advice is snatch it up right away. Among the peers of its style of Beethoven interpretation, it remains peerless. Highly recommended, and don't completely give up looking.

This is among the most massive interpretations of No. 3 that you can get. It's a slow and rolling thunder that pops in all the right places, not the least of which is the finale. One reviewer compared the journey in this performance to climbing Mount Olympus... well put. Compare the approach here to the zippy version of the same symphony by Jordi Savall and Les Concert des Nations. Savall the Catalonian makes brilliant recordings of Handel and ancient music, yet I strongly suggest hearing Barbirolli's performance of the "Eroica." The digital remastering and acoustics are especially complementary to Barbirolli's musical vision. Great, great Beethoven.

Make no mistake -- this is the grandest, noblest, most monumentally heroic performance of the Eroica Symphony available on CD. Everything that 'Glorious John' recorded was imbued with humanity and individuality, and never more so than here. True, it is also one of the slowest performances ever, and if you like your Eroica fast and furious, you should opt for Bernstein (NYPO) or Karajan (1977) instead. But as Barbirolli has triumphantly shown (and Klemperer and Giulini too for that matter), this is a symphony which gains most from a broad, spacious approach. The BBC Symphony may not be one of the top orchestras, but they played gloriously for Barbirolli, and the late 60's recording still sounds well. One can only be grateful to Dutton and the Barbirolli Society for 'rescuing' this great recording from oblivion. Shame on EMI, who made the original recording, for neglecting it for so many years, whilst issuing so many other less worthy recordings of this symphony at every price range. Do they have any conception of artistic worth?

Keeping in mind these performances may be placed in a triumphant third place after The Budapest Quartet (in their forties) and Vegh (both performances from the fifties and early seventies) that is by itself an extraordinary ackonwledgement for that ensamble.
The articulated voices and the rhythmic pulsations is first order, the Beethovenian harsh dissonances are expressed with absolute conviction and artistic commitment.
Highly recommended.

I rate Beetoven's late quartets as the most beautiful music ever written. Especially, I'm fond of op 131. Lindsays and Vegh like none else capture the moment in this music bringing the true soul of Beethoven to us. Like one other reviewer said : I am more happy person because I know Beethoven's late quartets and Lindsays. I trully agree with that.

Most beautiful music making from the Lindsays. They get much closer to the heart & soul of Beethoven than Alban Berg Quartett. The playing is spacious & warmly recorded.

Rosand is splendid in both masterpieces of the violin literate. First honors go to the Beethoven: fast and eloquent, it cuts through years of interpretive detritus that have slowed the "average" interpretation into treacly grandiloquence. In the late Heifetz mold, Rosand maintains a driving pace, but without the hyperactive edge. Inouye provides great support --- the Monte Carlo is not merely well-rehearsed, as has plagued Rosand in past productions. Very good rendition of the Heifetz cadenza.

The Brahms is also blessed with quick tempi and the artist's deep appreciation for the work. I've heard him play it in rehearsal with the San Jose, and I must say that this was much more compelling. Things get a little ragged in the cadenza, but overall, this comes close to the immortal Milstein's Capitol recording. And that's high praise indeed.

Rosand's tone is enough to make your heart melt.

But his musicality is just as impressive, and here, finally in excellent sound with an excellent orchestra, he gives us a wonderful set of Brahms and Beethoven violin concerti.

For Brahms, I still like Milstein a lot (with Steinberg, on EMI). To me, Milstein and Rosand have similar tone qualities, but they are definitely different musicians. For Beethoven I appreciate Kremer with Haroncourt (Teldec) and for an almost downright raw approach with an "interesting" orchestral accompaniment, Tetzlaff with Gielen on a super-cheapie label (Point Classics; coupled with one of the most boring renditions of Beethoven's 2nd PC I've ever endured).

Acquire this album. Enjoy it. Treasure it. I sure have.

This recording is so expressive, so pure, and so truly musical it's a rare pleasure to experience. I've owned many interpretations of these concertos, but this is by far the most soulful, masterful, moving, and touching I have ever heard.

Long before the days of psychedelic rock and the prog-rock concept album, there was "Symphonie Fantastique" composed in 1830 by the great Hector Berlioz.
Even after its inception 175 years ago, the "Symphonie Fantastique" is regarded as a milestone not just in classical music but in all areas of music. Considering the time period in which it was created, the music, ideas and concept were way ahead anything else that was being done (except for maybe Beethoven who had died only three years before Berlioz completed this work).
The concept behind "Symphonie Fantastique" is an extraordinary one. A young musician falls in love with a beautiful woman but can't have her. So he poisons himself with opium in hopes of killing his pain (and himself). Instead of dying, the musician falls into a hallucinegenic sleep in which he has surrealistic dreams - all of which involve the woman in question. The beloved one is represented by a simple yet haunting theme which is heard in numerous variations throughout the work's five movements. Although, the symphony does not have any words, it isn't difficult to picture the scenery in which each movement takes place and it's also not difficult to sense the intrusion when the beloved's theme occurs each time throughout the work. The first movement sets the pace for the entire work with a majestic Beethoven-like theme along with the aforementioned theme of the beloved. The second movement depicts a giant ballroom with a danceable Strauss-like waltz interupted by the same theme. The third movement takes place in an outdoor countryside and is an overall pleasant piece. The beloved's theme here sounds like a rude intrusion in contrast to the calmness. The fourth movement, "March to the Scaffold", is a dynamic tour-de-force in which the troubled musician imagines he is being executed for killing his beloved. Finally, the last movement, "Dream of the Witches Sabbath", is a hellish nightmare in which the musician imagines he's dead in hell surrounded by witches, demons and evil spirits (this was before heavy metal). The chilling haunting quality of the music is perfectly executed. Its use of violins bowing the strings with the opposite end of the bow is especially affective in creating the bone-rattling goulish sounds heard towards the end of the movement.
Indeed, as mentioned above, Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" was way ahead of its time when it was created. In a strange way, it does include elements of psychedelic music (the hallucinegenic theme of the work), prog (the fact that the five movements do indeed form a cohesive whole) and metal (the musical depiction of demonic things). And this was way back in the early 19th century.
On this disc, Leonard Bernstein not only does a flawless job at presenting this work, he also gives an excellent illustration of it in his discussion "Berlioz Takes A Trip" which is heard on Track 6 of this CD. Here, Bernstein dissects the piece musically and conceptually, allowing the listener to take a peek into Berlioz's obsessive mad genius. The remastered sound quality is also amazing giving the entire work a fresh clarity.
So there you have it, the first fruits of Psychedelic Prog-Metal all rolled into one musical work created 175 years ago by a brilliant composer by the name of Hector Berlioz.
Definitely a Symphonie Fantastique.

This is definitely highly recommended! His lecture on this "first psychedelic symphony" ever written was sure helpful. And the performance --- Berstein did show lots of passion and clarity to make it into a nearly flawless performance. The final two movement was especially giving me the chill it's hellishly excellent.

Those taking music appreciation, this is a MUST BUY! Enjoy your trip... without being drugged of course.

This wonderful recording of Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" and the companion recording, "Berlioz Takes A Trip," were the products of one of Leonard Bernstein's most memorable CBS telecasts. He made it clear that, long before modern hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD, Berlioz had envisioned a young man who was obsessed with a beautiful but elusive woman that he took opium and had a series of vision, all involving her. Berlioz represents the woman with a recurring theme, literally a "fixed idea," much as Wagner did with his leitmotifs in his musical dramas, particularly the "Ring Cycle." Berlioz's personal motivation for composing the symphony was his love for an English Shakespearean actress, Henrietta Smithson, whom Berlioz saw perform in Paris. He actually pursued her and they eventually married, but the marriage was failure because they were both very intense, egocentric individuals. They also had a language barrier and were unable to overcome it.

The March 5, 1968, performance in Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fischer Hall) of the amazing 1830 composition (completed only three years after the death of Beethoven) has remained a milestone. Seldom did Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic succeed in giving such a definite, exciting performance. The orchestra plays with great precision and intensity throughout the five-movement work, capturing all the nuances and passion of this incredible piece.

Originally, Columbia issued the LP verison of this recording with a small disc that included Berlioz's lecture, which had been adapted from his "Young People's Concert" on CBS. This is clearly Bernstein at his best, both as lecturer and as conductor.

A composer/conductor at the peak of his energy level in some of his own most vibrant music, working with an orchestra that (in these recordings anyway) was an extension of his personality--what more could you possibly want? In later years Bernstein re-recorded most of this music for DG (including the WSS "Symphonic Dances"), and while those readings are technically fine, they miss a lot of the verve and New York atmosphere that this CD exudes. The version I'm writing about is a 2004 reissue with remastered sound and a bonus in the form of Three Dance Episodes from "On the Town."

I am not a hard fan of Leonard Bernstein , but there are exceptional cases like this in which you simply have yo say : Bravo Maestro !
The Candide overture is terrific . Based on the Voltaire work , the overture of almost five minutes is a tribute to the life . played with dyonisiac enthusiasm and overpassing passion .
The West Side Story Suite is extraordinary played . Personally I do not know about any other performance which can match with this one .
On the waterfront is simply brilliant . This is the soundtrack of that brave film of Elia Kazan of the early fifties .
And Fancy free performing only matches with another version of the same director with the Columbia Symphony of 1950 . I hace it in vynil , because believe or not ; this recording has not transfered to CD .
But this set is simply fundamental for you . Be or not a fan of Bernstein , because that inspired music represents the golden years of Bernstein as composer and conductor .
The New York Philarmonic members played as real Greek Gods .
Supreme majesty and overwhelming passion .

I bought this CD a few years ago just to for the "Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront," which is one of my all-time favorite classic film scores. The NYPO's performance is very robust and energetic, and easily the best version available of the piece. Bernstein recorded this same piece again many years later with the Israel Philharmonic, but I found it lacking the same drive and passion as the earlier one. The NYPO really captures the mood of New York and the struggle of the dockworkers, as Bernstein envisioned for the film. And they also splendidly perform the love theme, too.

The rest of the album is also very good, but they're largely his standards that you've probably once too often. "On the Waterfront" is certainly a treat for any fan of film music from Hollywood's Golden Age. One can only imagine what it would have been like had Bernstein scored more films, but apparently the experience he had (music was cut or removed around in the film) made him think twice. But this CD is a winner.

In my book this was the definitive performance of Beethoven's 9th even if the soprano is a bit overpowering and Ormandy skipped the repeats in the second movement, as he is wont to do. The performance lives up to everything said by previous reviewers and more. If you believe that there are two classes of conductor, Eugene Ormandy then all the others, this is a must-have CD despite it's major flaws. I bought this recording on vinyl in the 1970s and finally got the CD. What a disappointment. The original analog recording sounds great in the softer areas but the tape is saturated in some of the loud parts. There are many places where you can clearly hear the harmonic distortion, especially when the timpani are playing loudly. There are also occasional dropouts, with a major one in the left channel about 1:25 into the first movement (it sounds like a wrinkle in the tape but seeing that it is in only one channel it's probably a flaw in the oxide). In the third movement there is so much crackling and popping that I could swear they digitized a vinyl recording for the CD. Seriously, I think the master tape must have been lost or damaged and this CD was made from a bad copy. Also, I know there is an Ormandy recording where he takes the repeats in the second movement. I borrowed it from the public library as part of the complete symphonies many years ago. Columbia apparently edited the repeats out to fit the symphony on a single vinyl disk for the single-disk release. Why didn't they use the unedited version here? There's room on the CD. This recording is a must-hear because it is an unbeatable performance of the 9th, and I'm glad to have it. However, don't clamp on your best headphones and expect to hear an excellently-engineered recording. The quality of the recording is, unfortunately, second-rate.

Overall excellent, but could not stand the Soprano (Amara).

There are myriads of versions of the Ninth-- the work is, after all, one of the archetypal artistic monuments of humankind, like the Sistine Chapel or Dante's Divine Comedy-- but no other recorded version comes so close the the soul, the spirit, of Beethoven's inspiration as this. Eugene Ormandy guides and manipulates the enormous forces with amazing subtlety. The three orchestral movements are splendid: the mystery of the opening, its shattering recapitulation, and the incredible, menacing coda, fraught with such anger, bitterness, and pain; the magnificent Scherzo, with its whirling counterpoint, rhetorical tympani outbursts, and multifarious textures; the luscious Adagio. And crowning the whole performance is a stupendous rendition of the final Ode to Joy. The soloists, particularly the baritone and tenor, are excellent: at times, in too many performances, they overdo decoration and try to show off, and it ends up sounding grotesque; Macurdy pares away the unessential and delivers a clean, powerful recitative. And Alexander does the same with the delightful and stirring Alla Marcia section, followed by that exciting double-fugato for orchestra. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is perfect in articulating Beethoven's textures and melodies, and, in the awe-filled "Ihr Sturzt Nieder?" Section, the modal harmonies and otherworldliness is breathtaking. Throughout, orchestra, chorus and soloists exude the joy, enthusiasm, and great-heartedness that make this work so universal in its meaning and immediate in its appeal-- right through to the thrilling, breathtaking coda. At top price this would still be a first recommendation-- and at budget price, everyone can revel in this Mount Everest of Western Art!

I think this is Beethoven for purists. Kuerti plays very individually and humanly but not so cosmically. He doesn't play with much weight or fire behind him, but rather with finess and beauty instead.

The Analekta sound is decent but could be louder and deeper.

His renditions are more preferable to me than say Barenboim (DG), Ashkenazy or Goode's, but it's true that Kuerti's are very interesting and unique readings indeed.

... and actually I listen to Anton even more often than to Artur. Others here have described Kuerti's playing. Let me describe how he speaks: like a human being. This is confessional Beethoven -- by turns virile, humorous, romantic and visionary -- but it is above all intimate, from Beethoven's heart to Kuerti's and then, I believe, to yours. There is nothing of the virtuoso about this musician. His fingers are first-class, but they preserve the sense of struggle so crucial to Beethoven's rhetoric. Czerny and Schindler described their master's own playing in terms that I think will come to mind when you hear these life-enhancing performances. Buy them before they disappear.

Where to start? I purchased this set on the recommendation of the manager of the classical CD department at a local CD store. We chat often about CDs, and this particular day, the conversation turned to the Beethoven piano sonatas, and he told me "You have to try this set. It's not like anything you've ever heard." Intrigued, I gave it a try.

Upon getting home to listen, I chose a familiar middle-period sonata to get my bearings - I chose the Apassionata. Within the first minute of the first movement I was transfixed in enjoyment and amazement. There are so many great performances of this piece, but this was indeed different from anything I had ever heard. I kept waiting for the usual problems I hear in most performances. Minor problems for sure, but always there nonetheless, such as too much pause after a phrase, or a tendency towards becoming mechanical and clangorous in the dense sections. But it never happened. The piece just kept pouring out with the most intricate passages seeming to stand still before me. To me, the performance seemed to transcend the usual adjectives one hears in reference to the Beethoven sonatas, such as "warm" and "lyrical" on one hand, or "granite-like" on the other. Rather it was as if all artificial coloration had been stripped away, and what was left was pure music, the perfect expression of the soul of the music. Kuerti plays from an utterly centered place, from which he uses supernatural control of articulation, dynamics, phrasing, to bring out music that is crystal clear and beyond words.

My next stop was the last movement of the Hammerklavier - the fugue. The Hammerklavier is one of my favorite pieces of music in the entire literature, but not the last movement in particular, because I'd never heard it performed well. I've only heard it in performances that are too harsh to enjoy. I've always felt there was a way to play it right - to bring it out correctly, but that I'd never heard a performance that achieved this. From the opening bars, my jaw dropped at Kuerti's performance. This movement opens with a number of short "episodes" before the main fugue is joined. These episodes usally sound like a "warmup" before the artist gets to the main show. In Kuerti's hands I was immediately transported to another world. There was a spirituality and profound peace that was palpable. It felt like Beethoven was in the room with me and Kuerti. (More on what I mean by this at the end!)

This experience of Kuerti's interpretations completely transcending anything I've previously heard was repeated again and again. Case in point - the Diabelli Variations. I purchased Pollini's CD a while back with high hopes. But I listened only once, and it has not come off the shelf since. But just a few minutes of Kuerti's performance, and I was entranced and immensly enjoying the music.

Everything in this set is a revelation! The feeling I get time and again when listening to these performances, especially the late sonatas, is that Beethoven is in the room. It's not that Kuerti disappears, and I hear Beethoven playing. It's more a feeling of Kuerti playing, me listening, and Beethoven is in the room, standing next to the piano, head bowed in concentration, smiling to himself, thinking that "this, finally, is right - this is how I meant it."

To me, these are performances of the highest artistry imagineable. If you love Beethoven's piano sonatas, and you're always searching for something more than what you've heard, you owe it to yourself to hear these performances!

During his tenure in Chicago, Solti made a complete Beethoven cycle in the mid-Seventies that shocked the world by having no shocking aspects--it was overly cautious and middle-of-the-road to a fault. The CSO played beautifully, and Decca's sonics, birghter and closer than what we have here, were fine at showing the orchestra off. But Solti the traditionalist couldn't bring himself to cut loose.

Here in Vienna he both does an doesn't. The Eroica, taken with all repeats but still rather stingy as the only work on CD 1, is a virtual mirror of the Chicago account. Like most first-rate condcutors, Solti stuck to an interpretation once he'd settled on it. In the case of the Eroica, that means a measured first movement with fairly strong accents, a completely conventional Funeral March and scherzo, and a punchy finale where he shows more fire than in the earlier movements. I find little to choose between this and the CSO account.

The Fifth and Seventh are a different story. In both we get more energy and vitality than in the later readings. That's obvious in the fast, strongly accented first movement of the Fifth as well as the fiery finale of the Seventh. In the other movements there's also noticeably more pace and involvement than in the remakes. The recording is reverberant and the mikes aren't very close--if you like LP acoustics, here they are, the opposite of Decca's show-off multi-miking later on.

All the reviewers below are, like me, old hands who have owned these works for decades and have heard almost all the great Beethoven conductors on disc. Not being a particular Solti fan, I can't call these great recordings, but of their traditional kind they are very good.

This collection of Beethoven Symphonies can hold its own against the best in the market. The 1959 Solti Eroica is more spacious than Karajan's 1962 Eroica but better. Not only does Decca have a better recording and sound, Solti's interpretation is more exciting and befitting of the heroic proportions of the Eroica Symphony. Karajan's 1962 recording is too revebrant. You get the feeling that the orchestra is playing in an empty hall (which, in fact, it is). You'll be surprised but Decca in 1959 had a better recorded sound than later Decca. The sense of presence is incredible. The same can be said of the 5th and 7th symphony. The Vienna Philharmonic is simply Hors Concours here. They outshine the Berlin Philharmonic for in the 5th and 7th in Karajan's cycle. Somehow, the Karajan leaves one vaguely dissatisfied. To be fair to Karajan, part of the reason is the unsatisfactory recording by DG which is too revebrant. The woodwinds in particular sound like they some from some distance away. Whereas in the Solti Vienna edition, the woodwinds are rightly in front. The sound is fuller and better.

Solti's 5th is fast and furious and Gramophone rightly said - it is in the 'great' class. The horns come through thrillingly in the 7th symphony. I have Carlos Kleiber's 5th and 7th. I think the honors are about equal between Kleiber and Solti. If I had to make a choice, I would go with the Kleiber. But the Solti is also not to be missed, especially since it comes with his Eroica. the Solti can hold its own against the kleiber. Collectors need not hesitate to purchase this Solti set.

The Vienna Philharmonic has once again proven that it is one of the world's greatest orchestras. Recommended without hesitation.

I owned these back when the world was young and vinyl was the only medium you could hear them on. The prizes here are the third and seventh. In the "Eroica", Solti takes all the repeats, and, for my money, strikes just the right balance between the excessively propulsive performance of Dohnanyi's Cleveland and Klemperer's ponderous New Philharmonia. The second movement again hits just the right stride, not too fast, but never bogging down. There are some wonderful horn balances in the fugue section that still raise the hairs on my arms thirty years after I first heard this performance. The scherzo is full throttle, almost impossibly fleet, except for the trio section where he slows down considerably - an interesting touch. Well-paced fourth movement, again with good horn balances in the last big statement of the main theme. This performance is much better than his last one with the Chicago, which in my opinion, was a sodden mess. This is my "desert island" "Eroica".

The seventh is just as good, but regrettably, Solti takes NONE of the repeats. I consider the seventh to be the toughest of Beethoven's symphonies to bring off, because if the execution isn't spot-on, it sounds frantic and driven, especially in the outer movements. But here, Solti and the Viennese shine. The last movement is a whirlwind, but it never sounds pushed or breathless, because the execution is breathtaking - listen to the violins playing the turning figure in the coda's big buildup just before the end. The only comparable execution I've ever heard in Beethoven is also a Vienna production - Carlos Kleiber's fabled DGG performance of the fifth.

Solti's fifth doesn't match Kleiber's (who does?); it's perfectly serviceable, with a menacing third movement and wonderful heft and presence in the basses. But the brasses are oddly subdued, and the second movement just never seems to get into gear. Great execution, but it fails my ultimate test of performances of this symphony: it doesn't leave me with goosebumps.

Serviceable sound; solid but no sonic blockbuster. But the musical thrills these performances give more than make up for it. It's great to have these wonderful performances back, sounding better than ever.

'Lite' music. I love Chaurasia's other work but this does not have the same depth. Buy 'Call of the Valley' instead. Music can be relaxing and engaging.

This album contains two tracks Movement One which lasts 37 minutes and Movement Two which lasts 14 minutes. Both tracks are very relaxing and meditative. Hari Prasad does a great job performing with the Orchestra and vise verca. Great CD to buy which won't go out of date. I was programming and listening to it and did not feel how time passed by.

A wonderful cd that transports you to places you want to go or places you have been.I play this cd and I am be back on a beach in Goa India.I also play this cd when giving Reiki treatments, my clients love it too.I know by now that you will love it too.