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Rating: 
Summary: Just imagine...
Review: ...a truck driver at the wheel of an F1. H. von Karajan should never have been allowed to conduct anything except from Berlioz or Wagner, where he was perfectly suited. Before I knew that, what I first got from him (Beethoven's 3rd and Dvorak's 9th) ended in garbage-bin.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Performances -- Monument to the Conductor
Review: At this point, Sony has released all of its von Karajan performances of the Beethoven symphonies on five DVDs. They are all very good performances, created for film (rather than concert performance) in the early 80s. Von Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic, his personal orchestra, and the performance is as much von Karajan as Beethoven. Musically, these are very fine performances, with von Karajan in absolute control of the orchestra which plays very precisely. These are the performance as he wanted to present them -- smooth, well thought-out, and note-perfect.There is probably no right way to put symphonic music onto film -- these productions (made by conductor's own film company) spend most of their time focused on the conductor with cut-away shots to both individual and groups of instrumentalists (also singers in the 9th), usually focusing on the instruments themselves rather than the players. It is fascinating to watch von Karajan -- his authority in the music and with this orchestra are clear thoughout each performance. He conducts without a baton and uses his whole body to conduct, though not in a distracting way (I am thinking of Leonard Bernstein here). The sound and picture on these DVDs are excellent; the sound is truly comparable to a well-recorded CD. The soundtrack is available both in stereo and also an excellent 5.1 Dolby mix. The disks have a set of program notes and a biography of von Karajan.
Rating:
Summary: Quantitative Evaluation
Review: Audio Merits:8/10; Video Merits:10/10;Musical Merits:10/10;Cinematographic Merits:9/10;Overall Artistic Performance:9/10;Recording Total Quality:9/10. Professor's Recommendation:Everyone should collect each title of Karajan's Legacy Serie released by Sony. They are considered as Legendary Recordings of major historical value.
Rating:
Summary: One of Karajan's best
Review: Despite what you may hear from down under, people who know Beethoven and particularly know the Eroica Symphony believe it may have been Karajan's masterpiece with regard to Beethoven. His earlier recordings were fine, but this is one piece that truly grew in stature with El Maestro as he aged. The slow movement is particularly compelling. Herbie may have been thinking of his own funeral, and he certainly regarded himself as a hero. Regardless of his ego or motivations, the performance is what counts, and Karajan and the Berliner really deliver the goods on this one. I believe any of you would find this a great performance, and a great video.
Rating:
Summary: One of Karajan's best
Review: Despite what you may hear from down under, people who know Beethoven and particularly know the Eroica Symphony believe it may have been Karajan's masterpiece with regard to Beethoven. His earlier recordings were fine, but this is one piece that truly grew in stature with El Maestro as he aged. The slow movement is particularly compelling. Herbie may have been thinking of his own funeral, and he certainly regarded himself as a hero. Regardless of his ego or motivations, the performance is what counts, and Karajan and the Berliner really deliver the goods on this one. I believe any of you would find this a great performance, and a great video.
Rating: 
Summary: sony's DVDs "created for film" concerts
Review: had it not been for sony's "created for film" DVD this could have been a five star rateing. however, because of the "created for film" three stars may be over rateing the DVD. i would as soon have it on a CD. Have i made my point that i do not like sony's "created for film" ?
Rating:
Summary: sony's DVDs "created for film" concerts
Review: had it not been for sony's "created for film" DVD this could have been a five star rateing. however, because of the "created for film" three stars may be over rateing the DVD. i would as soon have it on a CD. Have i made my point that i do not like sony's "created for film" ?
Rating:
Summary: sony's DVDs "created for film" concerts
Review: had it not been for sony's "created for film" DVD this could have been a five star rateing. however, because of the "created for film" three stars may be over rateing the DVD. i would as soon have it on a CD. Have i made my point that i do not like sony's "created for film" ?
Rating:
Summary: Beethoven and the Night of the Living Dead
Review: Seeing Karajan for the first time is a bit of a shock - here is a visibly ill and uncomfortable old man standing in front of one of the great orchestras of the world, making a laborious effort to summon up the glories of his legendary interpretations.
Does the orchestra need him?
Well, probably not: orchestral accents and dynamics appear to be created by the players' collective memory of countless performances of these symphonies rather than any gestural prompting or cues, which are few. However, the orchestra clearly needed someone to be more effectively at the helm, given some appalling lapses in ensemble. In their best moments (fleetingly few) these performances are only a shadow of the 60's and 70's recordings, although they do convey the weighty Berlin sound in more detail and show the oversized orchestra used for this repertoire. Students of conducting will gain little from watching this, except to see how a great orchestra performs when the conductor is unable to give much useful direction.
In short this is a sad legacy, because Karajan was one of the great masters of his art. Look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable performances
Review: There is something special with the last recordings of Karajan. The years made him less mathematical and now there is space for emotions. The two symphonies differ so much in character, one is classical, the other is romantic. Both are performed as never before, with energy and matury at the same time. What they have in common is the intensive use of counterpoint, and these versions let you notice this like no other. These are reference versions, equally enjoyable by both casual listeners and music students.
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