Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Herbert von Karajan :: Beethoven: Symphonien 5 & 8; Mozart: Adagio & Fugue; Divertimento 17 - Adagio

Karajan's Earliest Beethoven

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 07/29/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Of the five recordings of Beethoven's 5th Symphony made by Herbert von Karajan available on CD, this is the earliest. And recorded in 1948, in only decent sounding mono, it is probably the worst of the lot. Some early mono performances don't bother me as long as the performance is first rate, but unfortunately this one is uneven. My biggest problem is with the tempo. Karajan starts the first movement very briskly, but seems to slow his pace for the quieter parts. In too stark a contrast, the second movement is painfully slow. And then, like a chapter from Goldilocks and the Three Bears (this movement's too fast, this one's too slow, this one's just right), he finally settles on the perfect pace for the final movement -- but it's too little too late. The 8th Symphony, his first recording for Walter Legge and EMI, is a better performance overall but this 1946 recording sounds even worse than the 5th. The Mozart pieces are released on CD for the first time, but are quite honestly just filler. After that critique, you must be wondering why I am awarding this title four stars, and not less. Well despite the CD's shortcomings, this is an immensely important historical document for anyone interested in von Karajan's music. In some ways I'm glad it is not that good because it shows that even Olympian figures can have humble beginnings."