Karajan 1963 Beethoven Symphony Cycle HD Tracks

Sorry to answer my own post, but I've just realised that the entire set is on offer at $17.98, and I have a 15% discount code, so it's a no brainer!

Dear David, 

You can buy far better performances for less on CD. The sonic is always secondary to the performance, and Karajan's Beethoven is one to fold your arms and sleep accoring to Stravinsky ...

That 1963 series was fearfully badly musically balanced in favour of the strings over the middle voices in the woodwinds, which are always drowned at more than mezzo-piano in the worst of acoustics that allows the full tutti to be enveloped in the over-bearing acoustic of the Jesus Christus Church in Berlin.. Terrible effort from some prime candidates to produce the best.

It is only a no brainer if you want to waste the money ...

ATB from George

I don't agree George. Karajan's 63 set was highly acclaimed in its day and I grew up on it, being born in 1953. It was truly my earliest recollection of classical music. That others have done it better (and I have several cycles on CD and LP), is beside the point. I am really looking forward to becoming reacquainted with it, even if (especially if?) it puts me to sleep!!!

No doubt it will be more faithful [to the master tapes] than LP originals and even the ill-fated CD re-issues, but it will never be more than nostalgic recollections of youthful memories. I had that LP set in 1973, and it was truly unmusical beside at least three others I knew, IMHO, for the reasons already stated, but if you you like like the string rich sound, then it becomes a no brainer for you, but by no means a sensible general reco!

ATB from George

I wasn't recommending it to anyone else, not yet anyway. But I fully expect to get my money's worth at  €1 per symphony!! That's not bad for a major part of a soundtrack to a happy childhood. No doubt we are more discerning now, but not necessarily happier.

Beside the sleeping over-wieght strings of Karajan this is something to open the ear, even if it far from my favourite, it is far more informative of what Beethoven actually wrote down, and far more spirited tham most recorded performances ... !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ktiUrergls

ATB from George

This is more like it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgrxLR_8PEE

ATB from George

PS: and available in a superb mastering from EMi for about £1 per symphony ...

George,

let's just rejoice in the diversity of what is available to us via all this technology. I'm listening to the 3rd movement of the 6th from Karajan, and boring it ain't. I have to report that the SQ is much better than I expected. All in all a bargain, for me.

The Country Dance - Peasants dancing. Can be taken too fast for course, like Erik Kleiber ... It is not not a Viennese waltz ...

Karajan understood nothing of the rural way of life, though the urban-living Beethoven did!

ATB from George

It's a shame that David has picked the Pastoral as his ground to fight the good battle with George, as that's generally accepted as the weakest of the '63 cycle - actually it's a symphony that Karajan never did all that well. But overall the cycle is a brilliant representation of what good Beethoven sounded like 50 years ago, and we still have much to learn from it. Of course, tastes have moved on - but that doesn't invalidate what Karajan did so well back then.

incidentally, for great 'old school' Pastorals, try Böhm or Klemperer.

Paul

I'm not fighting with anyone! The reason I listened first to no.6 last night is that it was my first foray into classical music, at the age of 10, so it has a great deal of emotional significance, for me.

Dear Dave,

I am sorry. I should not have laid into your Karajan post like that. 

I hope I did not offend you. The truth is that I very rarely forget myself and post negatively about musicians I am not fond of, but for some reason I did forget this time. Sorry.

ATB from George

That's OK George. No hard feelings. Thanks

David

Dear Dave,

My first Beethoven Symphony was the Pastoral, also as a ten year old, from Erich Kleiber's famous Decca recording, and for my tenth birthday from Klemperer on HMV [original English columbia/EMI recording]. One of only two LPs I still own!

Before the Pastoral I had already learned the Great C Major and Unfinished Symphonies from Schubert and Elgar's First My other tenth birthday present was Sir John Barbiroli's HMV LP of the Great! I still have that LP as well. Kept as memoir, because they were worn out before I was thirteen through playing with a mono cartridge on stereo grooves!

Halcyon days! 

Here is the earlier Vox recording of the Pastoral with Klemperer and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. It is my favourite these days! It can still be had today on CD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbnyz_e-1ek

ATB from George

Thanks George. I need to retire to be able to follow all these links, and that's 4 years off yet. BTW my favourite 9th is of Hans Schmidt Isserstedt and VPO which I bought on LP from my first meagre pay check as a trainee Accountant in 1974. It still lifts me.

I am happy to have an original, numbered first edition German DGG "tulips" box set of this Karajan cycle in pristine condition (actually '61/'62). I always love hearing it. I also have the CD set and that doesn't do it justice.

This thread belongs in the Music Room, there's absolutely no mention of Hugo in here.

A footnote, HDtracks has increased the price of this Beethoven set from $18 to $43!

I'd rather just buy the CD set for $15 (I think that's what I paid) and rip it. The HD Tracks issue might even be upsampled 16/44 audio, unless the record label went back to the tapes and did a new hi-res digital transfer.

They were remastered at Abbey Road at 96/24, from the original tapes.

Thanks for the info. Might be interesting to compare to a first edition vinyl pressing.