Ludwig van Beethoven Herbert von Karajan Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra - Beethoven Symphonie No 8 Ouvertren Fidelio Leonore III Coriolan (7 tracks) +Album Reviews

Explosive, and surprising!

09/14/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like the recording of the Eroica symphony of the same cycle, this recording is surprising. although in general the 1984 cycle is not as satisfying as the 1977 cycle, or the 1962 cycle, this recording is an exception. It's bursting with energy, and is truly shocking, in the good sense of the word. One experiences an element of surpire when listening to this recoring: I didn't know the music is so powerful! This recording is a must have."

Big! Loud! Gigantic Performances! What's Not To Like?

dv_forever | Michigan, USA | 08/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Masterful As Always!

M. Packo | Stratford, CT United States | 01/15/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For his third DGG recording of Beethoven's marvelous "unbuttoned" eighth symphony, Karajan spares no detail. Though the overall performance and magnificent rhythmic pulse and drive of the '62 Berliners is still unbeatable, here you get the full benefit of digital recording: those horns are unveiled and distinct! Karajan almost pulls off topping himself on this recording - but then comes the finale! The fourth movement has some regretable changes of tempo that I found slowed down its marvelous rush to completion. Von Karajan has done this in other recordings: worked to his advantage in the Eroica, particularly. However, his revisitings of the overtures are sterling - flawlessly precise and dynamic in only the way Von Karajan and his Berliners can be: expressiveness of feeling always tempered by steely technique! True Germanic perfection."

Beethoven's 8th Will Sound Like a New Discovery

Richard Springs | Redmond, WA United States | 02/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always enjoyed the 8th symphony, but it was never the one I returned to again and again. (Although the version I heard was not on the "Gold" disc, but the recording is from the same year, so I'm assuming its the same performance, just in a hyped money making version.) With this recording of the 8th all my old conceptions of this work have been laid to rest. This recording is Beethoven's masterpiece finally given due justice with a performance that holds nothing back. The first movement is spectacular and Karajan brings out all the joyous power that is so profound in this work. The coda of the 1st movement has such a thrilling element that I often rewind to that part before moving on to the 2nd mvt. I personally don't think Karajan is as good as other Beethoven interpreters, but this particular version of the 8th is the very best I've heard. Give it a listen and you find that you won't be able to brush by this overlooked symphony again."

Excellent overtures, and Symphony, with reservations.

Alan Majeska | Bad Axe, MI, USA | 10/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Beethoven: Symphonie No. 8; Ouvertüren Fidelio, Leonore III, Coriolan

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