Herbert Von Karajan Russian Music

Karajan was unquestionably a great Tchaikovsky conductor. Yet although he recorded the last three symphonies many times, he did not turn to the first three until the end of the 1970s, and then proved an outstanding advocate. In the Mendelssohnian opening movement of the First, the tempo may be brisk, but the music's full charm is displayed and the melancholy of the Andante is touchingly caught.

He was closely associated with EMI for the majority of his recording career (specifically from 1946 to 1960 and then again from 1969 to 1984). At the heart of this 7-CD box are symphonies by Tchaikovsky and Dvořák – essential Karajan repertoire. They are complemented by an array of orchestral works from around Europe, showcasing both the Berlin Philharmonic and the Orchestre de Paris, which Karajan shaped in the first years of its existence.

Herbert von Karajan recorded almost everything in the standard orchestral repertoire once, many works two or three times, between his 1950s recordings for EMI with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the early 1960s for Decca with the Vienna Philharmonic, and his 1960s - 1989 recordings, mostly with the Berlin Philharmonic, for Deutsche Grammophon.

The air on Mt. Olympus must have been something like that in Berlin’s Jesus-Christus-Kirche when, in September 1969, the threesome of Richter, Oistrakh and Rostropovich joined Herbert von Karajan for this majestic recording of Beethoven’s underrated Triple Concerto. That there could have been such a meeting of the minds in this gathering of greats is difficult to believe, until one remembers that the three soloists were frequent collaborators who all spoke the same musical language, and after years in the trenches knew each other and their conductor very well. As one would expect, the solo work of the three Russians is brilliant and deeply musical. But just as delightful is the way they adjust from solo to ensemble roles and play together, with perfect unanimity, in the duet and trio passages. Karajan and the Berliners provide a monumental accompaniment, weighty, powerful, and rich in tone. The recording, one of the best from EMI in this venue, has been remastered in exemplary fashion and is impressively detailed and vivid.

There have been a number of outstanding recordings of the Dvorák Concerto since this DG record was made, but none to match it for the warmth of lyrical feeling, the sheer strength of personality of the cello playing and the distinction of the partnership between Karajan and Rostropovich. Any moments of romantic licence from the latter, who's obviously deeply in love with the music, are set against Karajan's overall grip on the proceedings. The orchestral playing is superb.

Yevgeny Kissin - Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 / Scriabin: Four Pieces, Etude
Berliner Philharmoniker - Herbert von Karajan
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 199 MB | Full Artwork: 50 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Deutsche Grammophon # 427 485-2 GH | Country/Year: Germany 1989
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Early 20th Century

Although the U.S.S.R.'s system of identifying and training musically talented youngsters produced amazingly precocious pianists on a regular basis, Evgeny Kissin stood out from the rest for a talent far surpassing that of the usual Wunderkind. He has become, seemingly without difficulty, one of the finest adult pianists on the world's concert stages…

Karajan in Moscow Vol. 2 - Bach: Brandemburg concerto No. 1; Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10
Classical| 1CD | EAC V.099 prebeta 3 RIP | 351 Mb | FLAC+ M3U+LOG+MD5 No CUE | Full scans | Rapidshare links
Publisher: Melodya| Language: Russian, English

The second concert was devoted to Bach's Brandemburg Concerto No. 1 and Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony. The orchestra’s commitment was astonishing. Mariss Jansons would recall: “They played at two hundred percent capacity. It was unbelievable”. Shostakovich joined Karajan and the orchestra on stage afterwards, obviously moved by the performance and reception he received. For Karajan, it was possibly the proudest moment of his life… To conductor who would to have been Shostakovich, these things mattered.

Classic recordings of Tchaikovsky's orchestral music, focused around the symphonies, ballet suites, concertos and overtures. Recordings from 1962-1992, from Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Pentatone, Musical Concepts, Melodiya and Mercury.

Claudio Abbado is one of the leading conductors of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. He has held a number of prestigious posts, any one of which would be a crowning achievement for a conductor, and his musical presence in both concert and recordings has left an undeniable legacy of excellence. His family traces its roots to a prominent Moorish family expelled from Spain in 1492 and is said to include the architect of the Alhambra. His father was Michelangelo Abbado, a violinist and teacher who gave both Claudio and his brother, Marcello Abbado, their first piano and music lessons (Marcello has gone on to become a pianist and composer)… ~ Joseph Stevenson, Rovi