Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik; Serenata Notturna

A virtuosic display that would be hard to equal

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 05/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Karajan was devoted to Mozart, and we have major recordings from him covering five decades. In general his style hasn't worn well, attracting criticisms that it is variously too slick, too polished, detached, overblown, etc. All the usual charges against a conductor who isns't up to the minute. These digital readings are awfully polished, too much so to be totally convincing. But I recommend this CD for anyone who wants to hear the incomparable unanimity of the Berlin strings. Few examples could be found to demonstrate such astonishing perfection of ensemble. The chief attraction issn't Eine Kleine Machtmusick but the delightful Diverimento for strings and two horns K. 287, an inspired half hour of Rococo panache."