Karl Böhm Berliner Philharmoniker Brahms Uhqcd

Here are Herbert von Karajan's celebrated interpretations of the four Brahms symphonies recorded in concert in 1973, at the peak of his career. Unitel's films from this period documented the maestro with his great Berlin orchestra on 35mm colour film and in stereo. "Others have gotten more reflection out of Brahms … but not more virility and controlled intense beauty than Karajan in the Unitel films" (New York Times).

Herbert von Karajan conducted Brahms's choral masterpiece frequently throughout his long career, but only once on film and with both of these outstanding soloists. This unique document from the 1978 Salzburg Easter Festival was acclaimed by Diapason as "a magical interpretation, prodigiously realized … with a sublime fusion of timbres, a cohesion and, ultimately, a simplicity that are truly unequalled."

Recorded - Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna 27th May 1953. During the 1950's, Karl Böhm made a handful of orchestral recordings for Decca with the Wiener Philharmoniker of, music by, among others, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Weber. Reappearing here, for the first time on CD, internationally, are his swift recordings of Beethoven's Eighth and of two Schubert symphonies (Nos. 5 and 8). Never imposing his will too strongly on his Viennese orchestra - and they had these classics in their blood - he directs performances that are fresh and gives full rein to the Vienna Philharmonic's wonderful tonal resources. Add the acoustic of the Grosser Saal at the Musikverein, familiar as daily bread to all the participants, and you have the best kind of tradition.

Everyone seems to agree that this mono Brahms cycle is one of the great ones, and the only question that really matters is a personal one: can you put up with decent mono sound, or must you have stereo (or to go a step further, digital?). The matter is further complicated by the fact that Eugen Jochum rerecorded this music in fine stereo for EMI, and those performances are also available on two twofers. It's your call, but by all means do sample this marvelous conductor's inspired way with Brahms.

What is striking about Mullova's playing here is her passion, her melancoly, how she takes opportunity to express the moods of the music. If you think that this should be taken for granted, I agree, but unfortunatly it cannot; it is that little extra making the difference between the good performances and the rare ones.

These recordings of Mozart's concertos for flute and orchestra, and the concerto for flute and harp, were made exactly a decade apart. In the flute concertos (No. 1 in G and No. 2 in D) the accomplished soloist is Karlheinz Zöller, who performs with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Bernhard Klee in these 1972 accounts. These are spirited, shapely performances, attractively balanced and nuanced, with rapturous, eloquent readings of both slow movements.