Title : Tchaikovsky: Symphonies no 4, 5, & 6 / Karajan, Berlin PO
Author : Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il'yich
Release Date : 19970715
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $17.98
Amazon.com Price : $14.99
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Editorial Reviews : This moderately priced package gives you the best of Herbert von Karajan's Tchaikovsky performances, and when he was 'on' with this composer, he was very impressive indeed. These are exceptionally well played, exciting, even noble versions of the composer's three most popular symphonies, and although Karajan recorded each of them four or five times, this least expensive edition is still the one to get.
Buyer Reviews : Generally DG's sound from this time period tended to be harsh and 'in your face'. Add to this the fact that Karajan himself liked to mess around with the with the final productions of his recordings, many times making them unlistenable (See his recording of Mahler's 5th in the early 70s). There is no evidance of this being done here, but the 'DG sound' is very obvious, as is the Berlin Philharmonie, where these recordings took place in 1976 and 1977. I personally find Karajan's interpretions of all three of these symphonies to be ideal. Tchaikovsky created music which is full of fire and intensity, but there are also moments where the listener is allowed to breath and relax. Here, Karajan and his amazing orchestra create both, at exactly the right times. Moments where another conductor might call his group to be overally sentamental or overly dry are done in a way where the real extremes are correctly highlighted. During buildups, like in the 6th symphony the full weight of the composer's vision is executed in an absolutly chilling fashion. The recorded sound, as noted before is not 'audiophile' quality. In fact, it is fairly harsh and 'in your face'. This blends perfectly with all three of these symphonies, and works the very best in the devastating 6th. Great Tchaik.
