Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.3 ‘Polish’… [Japanese SHM-SACD 2016] [SACD / Deutsche Grammophon – UCGG-9015]

Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker - Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.3 'Polish'... [Japanese SHM-SACD 2016]

Title: Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.3 ‘Polish’… [Japanese SHM-SACD 2016]
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Herbert von Karajan leads the Berliner Philharmoniker in a wonderful performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s unique five movement major key Symphony No. 3 plus Marche Slave & Capriccio Italien. Dispite this SHM-SACD marked as Original Japanese SACD, every performance on this disc, including “Marche Slave” and “Capriccio Italien”, are identical to the featured on the “Karajan Conducts Tchaikovsky” box set.

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1 min read

Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan – Tchaikovsky: 6 Symphonies (1979) [Japan 2017] [SACD / Deutsche Grammophon – UCGG-9102/4]

Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan - Tchaikovsky: 6 Symphonies (1979) [Japan 2017]

Title: Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan – Tchaikovsky: 6 Symphonies (1979) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Herbert von Karajan conducts this performance of Tchaikovsky’s Six Symphonies by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Although Karajan recorded the last three symphonies many times, he did not turn to the first three until the end of the 1970s. No doubt the reason these early symphonies sound so fresh is because the Berlin orchestra was not over-familiar with them – this belied by the sheer refinement of the orchestral playing. Recorded at the Philharmonie between October 1975 and February 1979, Karajan’s Berliner Philharmoniker cycle is presented on three SHM-SACD, mastered from the analogue recordings, transferred & edited in PCM, then converted to DSD.

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1 min read

Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan – Beethoven: The Symphonies (1963) [Reissue 2003] [SACD / Deutsche Grammophon – 474 600-2]

Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan - Beethoven: The Symphonies (1963) [Reissue 2003]

Title: Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan – Beethoven: The Symphonies (1963) [Reissue 2003]
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Karajan: Beethoven Symphonies (1963) is a set of studio recordings made in 1961 and 1962 by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan. It is the second of four cycles of Beethoven’s nine symphonies that von Karajan conducted, and the first of three for the German record label Deutsche Grammophon. The complete set was first released in 1963 in Europe, and as a result the cycle of symphonies is now generally known as the 1963 cycle. The cycle is usually now presented across 5 CDs. It is available in 24 bit/96 kHz high definition sound on 6 hybrid SACDs that also containing a rehearsal session for the ninth symphony.

Herbert von Karajan recorded Ludwig van Beethoven’s complete symphonies four times, first in the 1950s with the Philharmonia Orchestra on EMI, then on three more occasions with the Berlin Philharmonic for Deutsche Grammophon. Karajan’s 1963 cycle with Berlin is highly regarded by fans for its consistent interpretations and energetic and emotional playing. Collectors usually rate this set higher than the 1977 and 1985 recordings, also with Berlin on DG, which have been criticized for being somewhat more mechanical in performance and clinical in sound quality. That said, Karajan’s Beethoven is decidedly a product of the mid-20th century, following conventions that tended toward homogenization of orchestral colors, broad pacing, and an exaggerated sense of the heroic, particularly in the Third, Fifth, Seventh, and Ninth. Before the advent of the movement for period performance practices and the wide use of original 18th and 19th century instruments, Karajan’s recordings were widely accepted as the gold standard for Beethoven, though the historically informed interpretations by John Eliot Gardiner, Roy Goodman, and Christopher Hogwood have, by way of comparison, made most of the mainstream versions of Beethoven seem heavy and stodgy. Listeners who grew up with Karajan’s recordings will appreciate this set, though they are likely to own it already.

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2 min read

Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan – Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies (1977) [Japan 2018] [SACD / Deutsche Grammophon – UCGG-9129/32]

Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan - Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies (1977) [Japan 2018]

Title: Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan – Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies (1977) [Japan 2018]
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

To commemorate the 110th birthday anniversary of “Emperor of the Stage” Herbert von Karajan, “Beethoven: Complete Symphonies” recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1975 to 1977 was re-released on May 23, 2018. Karajan completed the Beethoven symphony cycle six times in his lifetime. This work is the second complete cycle recording, with the Berlin Philharmonic performing at their peak. The latest DSD master produced in 2018 at Emil Berliner Studios in Germany from the original analog master of Deutsche Grammophon in Germany was used to prepare this 4-discs boxset.

If Karajan’s 1963 set of Beethoven symphony recordings (recorded 1961-62 on DG) is generally hailed as one of the overall best cycles, Karajan-77 might in some ways be the better Karajan-Beethoven cycle – namely because it is more typical of Karajan and what he had achieved with the Berlin Philharmonic in the many years they were his orchestra. In the same way, the 1980s cycle might be considered as the exaggerated characteristic of everything that was questionable about Karajan’s particular approach – a trend toward homogeneity gone wrong, with edges first overstated, then smoothed over, and captured in sound worse than either of the predecessors. Karajan ’77 is a more collaborative effort with his orchestra, the detailed sound and clarity of his earlier Beethoven married to the homogenous orchestral sound that is said to have been his ideal. Although the timings are not very different from the earlier cycle (in the “Eroica” Karajan shaves off over two minutes from his previous account, [inadvertently?] coming close to Beethoven’s metronome markings), the symphonies often ‘feel’ a little bit more deliberate because the saturated, secure sound of the orchestra and recording remove any sense of instability, nervous energy.

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2 min read

Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker – Verdi: Messa da Requiem (1972) [Japanese SHM-SACD 2012] [SACD / Deutsche Grammophon – UCGG-9051]

Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker - Verdi: Messa da Requiem (1972) [Japanese SHM-SACD 2012]

Title: Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker – Verdi: Messa da Requiem (1972) [Japanese SHM-SACD 2012]
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Japanese original release. Uses 2012 DSD master based on the Deutsche Grammophon’s original analog tape.

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1 min read

Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwangler – Bruckner: Symphony No.4; Wagner: Parsifal (2016) [SACD / Praga Digitals – PRD/DSD 350 130]

Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwangler - Bruckner: Symphony No.4; Wagner: Parsifal (2016)

Title: Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwangler – Bruckner: Symphony No.4; Wagner: Parsifal (2016)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO

Recorded in 1951, this recording features Wilhelm Furtwängler leading the Wiener Philharmoniker in one of the most infamous readings of Bruckner’s Symphony No.4. The legendary maestro is also joined by the Berlin Philharmonic for the Good Friday Music from Wagner’s Parsifal.

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1 min read

Mstislav Rostropovich, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan – Dvorák: Cello Concerto – Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme (1968/2012) [SACD / Universal (Japan) – UCGG-9045]

Mstislav Rostropovich, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan - Dvorák: Cello Concerto - Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme (1968/2012)

Title: Mstislav Rostropovich, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan – Dvorák: Cello Concerto – Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme (1968/2012)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

This timeless masterpiece, which swept the world’s major recording awards—Germany’s Schallplattenpreis, France’s Grand Prix du Disque, and Japan’s Record Academy Award—can be declared Rostropovich’s greatest performance.

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1 min read

Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Ferenc Fricsay – Dvořák: Symphony No. 9; Smetana: Vltava; Kodály: Hary Janos Suite (2020) [SACD / Tower Universal Vintage – PROC-2267]

Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Ferenc Fricsay - Dvořák: Symphony No. 9; Smetana: Vltava; Kodály: Hary Janos Suite (1959-1961/2020)

Title: Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Ferenc Fricsay – Dvořák: Symphony No. 9; Smetana: Vltava; Kodály: Hary Janos Suite (1959-1961/2020)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO

Furichai’s iconic masterpiece. Overwhelming with its fierce intensity, “New World” and others are newly mastered from the original analog master tapes in Germany for the world’s first SA-CD release! Superb recording. Newly mastered in Germany from the original analog master tapes. This golden combination album pairs Furtwängler’s definitive DG recording of the “New World Symphony” with his equally masterful “Moldau,” also conducted with the Berlin Philharmonic, and Kodály’s “János Károlyi Suite,” one of the composer’s major works which Furtwängler championed with extraordinary passion throughout his life, alongside Bartók. The 1959 recording of the “New World” Symphony showcases the Berlin Philharmonic’s formidable power with its low center of gravity, combined with Furtwängler’s exceptional sense of tempo and masterful transitions. Beyond just this recording, one feels the tremendous intensity poured into the performance. It is a compelling interpretation that stands out among the many recordings, and even 60 years after its release, it remains a masterpiece worthy of the forefront. The Moldau begins at a brisk tempo, with the middle section offering a sense of liberation rich with lingering resonance and a flowing tempo that is truly outstanding. As seen in rehearsal footage, the meticulous direction and the orchestra’s ability to respond to it make this a rare masterpiece. While this piece is often performed separately and many recordings exist, this performance is also one that captures the essence of Fricsay. Furthermore, Kodály’s representative orchestral work, the suite “Háry János,” is nothing short of definitive in this recording. Though made just seven years after the first recording in 1954, this re-recording—despite the difference between stereo and mono—paints Kodály’s world with even greater intensity. His approach to music, emphasizing universal musicality over excessive nationalism, undoubtedly results in performances that satisfy many listeners. Moreover, this recording was made just two months before Fricsay abandoned his conducting career, making it one of his final recordings, a fact that lends it profound significance.

The DG recordings from that era possess a robust, almost rugged thickness with a solid foundation. Yet, thanks to high-resolution remastering, the soundstage has become sharper and the ambient sound richer, allowing one to feel the atmosphere and passion of that time. As these are highly regarded, important recordings, both the “New World” and “Moldau” were previously released on Blu-ray Audio. However, this time they have been remastered from the original analog master tapes in the country of origin, digitally converted to 192kHz/24bit, and given the latest mastering, allowing for an even more detailed sound. Furthermore, the recording technology for the “Hary János” suite had advanced even further, achieving a quality that holds up remarkably well even when listened to today. For this reissue, we traced back to the original analog master tapes from the country of origin and performed high-quality digitization. Using the highest-grade flat master tape, not just for this release, has yielded an exceptionally strong presence. Texture and spatial positioning have become astonishingly clear and distinct, combined with the benefits of DSD conversion to reproduce unprecedentedly superb sound quality. For this release, the original analog master tapes from the country of origin underwent physical maintenance and restoration before being digitized at high resolution (192/24 PCM). Mastering was then meticulously performed over an extended period at Berlin’s Emil Berliner Studios by the label’s dedicated engineer, following a detailed process specifically for this series. The SA-CD layer delivers the high-definition master sound. The CD layer also features the latest digitization and mastering, setting it apart from the sound quality of previous releases. This series adopts the original jacket design and includes a new introductory essay by Kotaro Yamazaki. This 21st installment of the “Vintage SA-CD Collection” will release a total of three titles.

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4 min read

Claudio Abbado, Berliner Philharmoniker – Brahms: The 4 Symphonies (Esoteric Japan 2018) [SACD / Esoteric Company – ESSG-90192/4]

Claudio Abbado, Berliner Philharmoniker - Brahms: The 4 Symphonies (Esoteric Japan 2018)

Title: Claudio Abbado, Berliner Philharmoniker – Brahms: The 4 Symphonies (Esoteric Japan 2018)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

For collectors of Claudio Abbado’s recordings, the performances on this three-discs Japanese Esoteric label’s remastered release of the Italian conductor’s digital recordings of Brahms’ symphonies with the Berliner Philharmoniker may seem redundant, since the symphonies were previously released as single discs in the late ’80s and early ’90s on Deutsche Grammophon. But this box set marks the first hybrid SACD release of historical recording selections. These new audio versions feature Esoteric’s proprietary re-mastering process to achieve the highest level of sound quality.

These performances are technically impeccable; Abbado is a tremendously skillful conductor who knows these scores like the back of his hand, and the Berliner Philharmoniker is one of the two or three finest orchestras in Europe, with a collective virtuosity that no other orchestra on the planet can match. The performances are also interpretively irreproachable. Some might find Abbado a bit stiff – there’s no tempo bending here – but even they would have to admit that there is nothing in Abbado’s accounts that does not come directly out of the score: his First’s resolute heroism, his Second’s dappled lyricism, his Third’s sensual romanticism, and his Fourth’s unrelenting tragedy are all rooted in the music, not in Abbado’s personal psychology. This set is additionally worthwhile because the single-movement works are as well-played and interpreted as the symphonies, particularly the choral works Nänie and Gesang der Parzen. Deutsche Grammophon’s digital sound was crisp, clear, and vivid, and Musical Heritage Society’s reissues are identical. If you’re looking for a single set of digitally recorded Brahms orchestral works, this set cannot be bettered.

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2 min read