Wiener Philharmoniker 2025

Leonard Bernstein conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker for these legendary recordings from 1977-1979 of Ludwig van Beethoven's 9 Symphonies in this Limited Edition SACDs set. A set that in the realism of its engineering, in the poised polished execution of the Vienna Philharmonic, and in the controlled, tasteful vigor of Bernstein's conducting sets standards of Beethoven playing. Despite the age the pairing of Bernstein and the VPO was always quite special and the set has stood the test of time remarkably well, remaining an excellent choice for anybody looking for a Beethoven symphony cycle.

Valery Gergiev turns in a generally fine Symphonie fantastique, one that really heats up in the last two movements, as any good performance must. The March to the Scaffold has an aptly menacing character, with very clearly voiced timpani and plenty of panache to the brass playing. The finale begins quite quickly and never lets up; it has the special Berliozian frenzy that so many versions never manage to capture. Elsewhere the results are a bit more variable…

Valery Gergiev turns in a generally fine Symphonie fantastique, one that really heats up in the last two movements, as any good performance must. The March to the Scaffold has an aptly menacing character, with very clearly voiced timpani and plenty of panache to the brass playing. The finale begins quite quickly and never lets up; it has the special Berliozian frenzy that so many versions never manage to capture. Elsewhere the results are a bit more variable…

There are few concerts in the world that are awaited with as much excitement as the New Year’s Concert from Vienna. Under the direction of Christian Thielemann, the Vienna Philharmonic ushers in the New Year with a concert in the magnificent Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein.

Herbert von Karajan conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker performing Tchaikovsky's Ballet Suites: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. Universal Music Group has gone back to the original master tapes to deliver fully uncompressed, high-resolution versions of many of your favorite albums.

Led by Karl Böhm, the 3rd and 4th symphonies have long been recognised as classics of the Gramophone, but the ‘Vienna Philharmonic Bruckner cycle’ also contains several less-familiar recordings. Böhm's lyrical and expansive approach to Bruckner is probably best suited to the 7th symphony, which was certainly the best recorded legacy. Also on the disc the eight symphony of the Nowak edition, including the 1976 studio recording for Deutsche Grammophon.