Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [Hybrid SACD]

Karajan's best Beethoven Ninth--is the SACD better, too?

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am buying the 1963 Beethoven cycle from Karajan one disc at a time in its new SACD format. This one of the Ninth is a very successful remastering. Listening in two-channel stereo, I find the sonics indistiguishable from a contemporary CD, except for a hint of shrillness in the upper ranges at forte and louder. There is little or no hiss, the original mushy bass has been cleared of tubbiness, and one hears more air around the orchestra (indicative of the engineers capturing more ambience from the hall).



This Ninth last appeared on an "Originals" reissue in 1995, which also sounds quite good--there is no jacket note indicating a new remastering at that time. Except for added bloom in the instrumental tone and a wider soundstage, the new hybrid SACD, as played on a regular CD player, isn't a huge improvement. For anyone who owns an SACD player, however, this is a justifiable first choice among Karajan Ninths."

Great performance made even better via SACD

Don Labonte | Wales, WI USA | 08/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Legend has it that when the CD format was being developed, the goal was to fit all of the Ninth symphony on one disc without the need to change discs or sides. The Ninth has been my favorite for many years, and I have owned several versions by various conductors, including two different recordings conducted my Von Karajan. To my ears, Von Karajan's recordings of the Ninth have always seemed the most vibrant. I do not profess to be an expert in classical music, but I know what I like.



This recording from 1962 is delightful, and the SACD sounds amazing. The performance is fantastic and the SACD captures the warmth of the original recording but adds a power and presence made possible through the SACD format. If you are a fan of this symphony, you simply can't go wrong with this release."

The Best Version Of Beethoven's 9th Ever Recorded

Santa Fe Listener | 01/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Herbert Von Karajan is considered to be one of the 20th century's top composers and the Berlin Philharmonic is the world's finest orchestra. Little wonder that this old recording digitally remastered by Deutsche Grammophone from the original 60's LP is hailed as the greatest recording of Beethoven's 9th. All in all, this is a terrific and sumptuous performance. The strings are in complete unison, the trumpet/brass during the 3rd movement Andante Cantabile is awe-inspiring. The first movement is majestic and lyric, and the Finale is superb. The soloists are incredible- tenor Waldemar Kmentt has a heroic sounding voice and is also very lyric in the Germanic sense. Gundula Janowitz has a beautiful soprano voice that is angelic and moving. Hilde Rossel-Majdan has a stately mezzo voice and transfers well into recording. Walter Berry was a legendary German baritone who excelled in Liedger and Mozart. His voice here has never sounded better. Trained by a master composer, every force behind this recording is top-notch. At an affordable price, this is a must have. Please do not hesitate to pruchase this recording as your ULTIMATE RECORDING OF BEETHOVEN'S NINTH."