Herbert Von Karajan - Tchaikovsky - Symp... on DVD (1984)

Ianski from Deepest Essex , 06/09/2005

Any review of this DVD has to be in two parts - the film and the performance.

The film shows a master at the peak of his form and a masterclass for anyone who's ever waited for the family to go out to pick up the 'air baton' and conduct along. Af flash of the eye or a slight twist of the head has the players responding immediately. And that is not to belittle the players. OK it's not Berlin but the VPO is still way up there.

As regards the performance, it has to be a matter of taste. Personally I find von Karajan's brass rather too strong but nonetheless the overall effect is beautiful and sad and painful and clearly of a desperately confused mind - an entirely plausible and moving interpretation of Tchalovsky's cri de coeur.

Fascinating and beautiful

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

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Stephen M. Bell from Wellingborough, England , 22/08/2006

Karajan has an inate ability to conjour lustrous rich sonorities from an orchestra. To some palattes this is overly sweet and self indulgent, often it is said at the expense of interpretative insight.

Watching this master at work (and as a conductor myself) I was struck by the minimilism of his approach. It was insightful to be able to watch him pull this performance out of a world class orchestra like this, playing 'at home' in the famed Musikverein in Vienna.

My recollection of the score is that it does NOT require double woodwind and here I felt the Karajan paradox at it's most acute. Such a great conductor believes in himself to the extent that he wilfully messes with Tchaikovsky's orchestration.

Having said that I enjoyed watching this DVD for the sheer opulence of the playing and to watch the great man at work. The perdormance is flawless, if a little lacking in 'Mvrinsky' edge or 'Silvestri' interpretation but it's worth the effort just to sit back and enjoy the mastery.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

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A customer from London, England , 22/03/2008

Karajan may be the maestro of Beethoven works but this sluggish and brutal rendition of the Pathetique was ghastly

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