Search - Karajan in Concert on DVD

Mystery!

Camil Moujaber | Owosso, Michigan USA | 01/29/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"January 8, 2009... 3 stars
I had to do a Google search to find what's on this DVD! Is that practical Amazon? Most classical DVD's on Amazon don't show or mention anything about their contents! So, dear Amazon, can you do something about that?
Here are the contents of this DVD:
Beethoven: Coriolan Overture, Op. 62, Egmont Overture, Op. 84
Debussy: La Mer, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor/Alexis Weissenberg (piano)
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No. 2
Rossini: Guillaume Tell Overture
Wagner: Tannhäuser - Overture
Weber: Der Freischütz Overture
The recordings were made around the mid to late 70's in stereo, so how clean can this DVD sound or look? I'd rather wait for someone else to purchase the DVD and comment on the quality.

April 17, 2009... 4 stars
Well, I ventured and purchased this DVD... and I don't regret it, although Amazon did nothing about lacking DVD information on their website. Picture quality is not excellent but very good (I think most performances were filmed on 35mm film) and the sound in PCM stereo and Dolby Surround is clear with good stereo separation, though not as crisp as present day digital recordings. I was mainly interested in Rachmaninov's piano concerto no. 2, a good performance by the BPO and a relatively young Alexis Weissenberg at the piano, although slightly on the fast side, which is characteristic of Karajan conducting. I also enjoyed the Rossini and Wagner overtures, which I understand were favorites of Karajan's. In a few words, this is a good DVD on classical Karajan conducting of the well rehearsed BPO. Recommended."