Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 (1977)

Great remix of one of the greatest Ninths ever

R. Lane | Tracy, CA USA | 01/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Few dispute that this, Herbert von Karajan's 4th recording of Beethovens's Ode to Joy masterpiece, is a masterpiece by itself. Karajan's first recording, in 1947 with the Vienna Philharmonic, would be a lifetime achievement for many conductors. That was followed by an equally fine Philharmonia recording that doesn't have the sense of occasion the 1947 performance enjoyed. Karajan's first recording of the 9th for DG in 1963 became justly famous, being surrounded by a media blitz and lavious packaging. No wonder the 1977 recording seemed somehwat of an after thought when it appeared on LP. But when this 1977 recording first appeared as a Galleria mid-priced bargains in 1986 - Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 "Choral" - , it almost instantly vaulted to the top of the charts around the globe, equally favored by those with musical ears and audiophiles.



In 2003, DG issued a 2 CD set with a 24bit/96k remastering of this same recording - Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5, 6 & 9 - that became the version to have - see my review there. The remastering removed some of the annoying over-microphoning effects that tend to mar most of the DG recordings from that era - the mid 1970s through the early 1980s. Oddly enough, DG in the 1990s became a big proponent of issuing recordings made from live sessions, quite a contrast to the 1970s.



So now we have an SACD of the 1977 performance. Another remastering? No, much more. From the first note, it is very evident DG did a complete remix this time. Previous CDs applied digital filtering techniques to the final master tapes to bring about the noticable improvements, especially the 2003 remastering. But in order to take better advantage of SACDs 5.1 surround sound capabilities, it seems evident to me from listening that this time around the who-knows-how-many original tracks were used to produce new mixing altogether. I have to say I was not impressed at first listen. The sound has more highs and it seems a little more "tinny" and less full-bodied when compared to either of the first CD versions in A/B listening tests. But a few full fledged runs through the entire SACD convinced me the new remix is far and away superior. Orchestral detail is phenomenally better. The Adagio particularly fares much better here than in the other two versions. In the finale, individual voices and choir sections are more distinctly placed in the sound stage. For example, Jose van Damm's voice at athe opening of the Ode to Joy is very clearly placed slightly to the right instead of almost filling the whole stage. And the closing climax is similarly less crowded and congested.



You don't need an SACD player, or 5.1 surround sound to benefit from these improvements. I prefer the SACD Stereo layer myself, but the SACD CD layer is equally fine too. I actually did the majority of my comparative listening several months ago using only the CD layer of the SACD as I lacked an SACD player at the time. So don't let the SACD format stop you from enjoying this.



I will keep the prior CDs, partiularly the 2003 version, but I think I will more often return to this version than any other of this 1977 recording for a breathtaking listening experience. And it certainly is that. My only sadness is that Universal exitted the SACD market so quickly. I would love to hear more of their recordings remixed in this fashion. Come back please!



As for those who have maligned this SACD, for preferring those glossy versions to this full range beauty, we call you "Mellow Yellow"."