Excellent Horn Concertos
Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 10/04/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD of Mozart's four Horn Concertos featuring soloist Gerd Seifert and Herbert von Karajan leading the Berlin Philharmonic is excellent. At a budget price, it is a better overall purchase (and performance) than its competitor in the Sony Essential Classics series (Clevenger/Rolla). Karajan, while known as one of the world's greatest conductors, was far from one of the best accompanists, however he seemed to revel in collaborations with horn and trumpet players (see my review of his recording with Maurice Andre). In fact, if you can stand to settle for a mono performance instead of this 1969 stereo account, Karajan made the hands-down definitive recording of these Horn Concertos in 1953 with Dennis Brain (clearly the best ever at his instrument) and the Philharmonia Orchestra for EMI."