Search - Beethoven - Symphonies 7, 8, 9 / Herbert von Karajan, Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Jess Thomas, Walter Berry, Berlin Philharmoniker on DVD

There is no quality control in the editing

Javier Jijena Sanchez | Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina | 06/12/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I really bought this Dvd because I trusted the demanding quality in terms of image and sound by the people from Deutsche Grammophon. But I can tell you that the image is quite poor and even in the last 4 minutes of the third track the color even fades and turns into black and white until the beginning of the next track. I love Beethoven's nineth symphony but I think it is a pity that nobody really supervised the editing well. I felt quite disappointed.
"

Great performance; terrible editing

moviemusicbuff | Walnut, CA United States | 04/16/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Herbert Von Karajan is one of my top favorite conductors and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the greatest orchestras in the world. Karajan and the BPO were at their peak when they recorded the Beethoven 7,8, and 9th Symphonies around 1968.

The good:

The soloists are great in the 9th: G. Janowitz is absolutely superb as the soprano and her voice floats over the other soloists in a very demanding part; Walter Berry is excellent on baritone/bass, with a very resonant and commanding voice; the alto and tenor do a very fine job (Christa Ludwig, Jess Thomas)as well. They are ably backed up by the Berlin Opera.

The bad:

I echo the comments of the other reviewers. The cameraman should be shot; the editing is very poor -- too many close-ups of Karajan and angle shots of the violins and cellos; not enough shots of Karajan and the whole orchestra. It is inexcusable. When we hear the flute play, we get a very close shot of the flute, and not the whole person playing. We also get very close shots of several violinists and celloists and not the whole section. I found it very annoying.

For the 7th and 8th symphony, there were shots of certain sections of the orchestra but seldom the whole orchestra.

The poor editing really affected my enjoyment of this DVD. This could have been a wonderful performance of Karajan and BPO at their finest; they are totally let down by the poor editing. I was quite disappointed with this DVD.

"

Is there lower than 1 Star?

A. Roth | Baltimore, MD | 01/13/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I am a big fan of the Beethoven symphonies and have lately been buying a lot of music DVD's for my son (he's 2.5) who loves to watch the musicians. I bought this review with trepidation based on what some reviewers here have said.
The sound is great, no complaint. But, the images! Let us leave aside the fact that is being recorded on some kind of 1960's set that is straight out of 2001: A Space Odyssey- if the rest were great, I could live with it. This DVD is almost nothing but close ups of a very strange looking Karajan undulating with his eyes closed in a state of personal rapture. The occasional shots that are not of him are of objects, like a violin, not the violinist.
As I have noted in my opera reviews, I like DVD's because they have the potential to simulate the concert-going experience, perhaps even with a better view than I can usually afford. At a concert, I like to watch the musicians, see them sway, watch their fingers, watch them interact with the conductor, watch what they are doing when they are not playing. Not for nothing is the conductor's back to the audience during concerts.
Summing Up: If you want to watch Karajan lost in an almost-pornographic self reveries for a few hours...this the DVD for you. If you want something approximating a concert-going experience. Look elsewhere. For an example of a truly great music-DVD see the Perlman/Barenboim Beethoven-Brahms concerti on EMI..."