Review: EMI's Complete Karajan Orchestral Stuff

This 88 CD box is long gone, replaced by the "Remastered Karajan Edition," currently selling for $671 on Amazon (as of 8/23). Bits of that are available in separate boxes, but the only one that really matters is his Philharmonia Orchestra recordings. Most of the rest were remade by DG, often multiple times. Life is short, and the Karajan discography is large and hopelessly duplicative.

[@davidaiken1061]

Whew! Thanks, Dave, for this heroic effort to say something about HvK's official recorded legacy. From my vantage, this EMI box provides the most interesting glimpse into this controversial conductor's career. For one thing it does show that there was some development, at least with some composers and choice of repertoire. What he chose to re-record for DG, and what he chose not to, just reinforces the fascination of this set, which I'm glad I purchased when it was a genuine "bargain box."

[@TheAboriginal1]

Is Karajan really "controversial" as you say?

[@ud-]

Great stuff Mr.Hurwitz The Karajan boxes are the best ❤

[@JackBurttrumpetstuff]

The Andre Trumpet Concertos recording was a hit! Andre said he bought a summer home with the royalties from his recording with "Monsieur Karajan"! Haha

[@DavidJohnson-of3vh]

Gosh, I still have some of those on Angel LPs...I may be old...LOL

[@richardgoldberg4310]

Thank you for this interesting survey. You make a really important point about the Philharmonia recordings. I listened to the Philharmonia Pines of Rome again today and, as you say, it is a knockout, particularly the pacing of the build up to the brilliant climax in the Via Appia. Funny how it hasn’t received that much attention from reviewers other than yourself in recent times.

[@John.B.Ellis27]

I'll wager the original booklet that shipped with the complete EMI set starts falling apart by the end of the video. The glue used to hold the pages together was so, so, low quality. You would think that Karajan's glue would hold up for longer than that....

[@bbailey7818]

EMI cd booklets were impossible early on. I have the Hoffmann cond. Cambreling, Oeser edition which throws in everything including the kitchen sink and is about as long as Meistersinger. The hugely thick booklet began falling apart almost immediately. EMI never bound them properly.

[@murraylow4523]

Very thoughtful overview. I used to have this box, but in a necessary fit of clearing out a few years ago, I sold it on. I don’t regret doing this, as I already have so much of the DG Karajan I think it’s quite enough of one person, particularly as so so much repertoire duplication went on… Dennis Brain, lovely, but if you want to listen to the Mozart horn concertos, goodness, you can do so much better nowadays. I’m not surprised Warner doesn’t really know what to do with all this now! And, Dave, many happy returns, hope you’ve been having a great day :)

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Thank you!

[@mauryq2150]

As I admire your knowledge and criticism Mr. Hurwitz I don't understand your opinion on his Rachmaninoff 2. Weissenberg did extremely big and powerful culmination at the beginning, also nobody did such bombastic climax in the middle of first mvm. Of course it is slow, especially second mvm but it is beautifully played.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Fair enough. I'm glad you enjoy it more than I do.

[@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist]

for what it's worth, Glenn Gould also admired this recording as well!

[@nattyco]

It's brilliant the way you can give us so much information. I recently bought the 4 disc EMI Classics compilation of Karajan's Schubert symphonies with the BPO from 1975-78 and I was pleasantly surprised how good they sounded. 8 and 9 were particularly satisfying. I've also been impressed by his earlier 'Unfinished' with the Philharmonia from 1957. It's very similar to Cantelli's excellent recording, also EMI with the same orchestra. On the other hand his 9th with the BPO from 1969 on DG is awful, rushed and superficial, as if he couldn't finish it quickly enough. I don't think it helped his reputation as a poor Schuberterian when he said he disliked his music but the performances are not all poor and some for me are very enjoyable.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

That's very fair. As I said, I also like that EMI 9th, and the rest aren't awful, but it's always a game of comparisons, isn't it? We can do so much better than "pleasantly surprised."

[@nattyco]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Indeed, they do sound very good. The playing of the BPO is a delight in itself and rewards repeated listening. For instance, I listened again to 5 after you pointed out its length. It is certainly expansive, but when I listened a third time it sounded very natural and engaging. I guess the ear/brain adapts! I still prefer Beecham, which is the recording of 5 I grew up with though. He gives more spring and bounce, more levity and Viennese charm.

[@eliasmodernell3348]

Is 'the room' EMI studio 1? If so it's next door to where The Beatles recorded (I am wearing a tie as I type!)

[@bbailey7818]

Now. When do we get the DG Fricsay box? Waiting for Ferenc...

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

In progress...

[@ecriturecinematographique2987]

Interestingly enough, when you discussed the EMI Berlin Sibelius 5th that you now say is odd and has weird balances in your Sibelius 5th talk about a year ago, you said you liked it better than the classic DG one, that time touting its less blended sonorities. (Actually I just checked and you were more enthusiastic than I remembered; you say it’s “incredibly exciting,” “a very very fine performance,” has “an edge and bite” that is lacking in the DG and suits the music, and is “the best Karajan Fifth, in my opinion.” For what very little it’s worth, I like DG a lot better, though I also have my doubts about how idiomatic the, quoting one of your reviews, monumentalized style is.)

[@jameslee2943]

I don't remember any weird balances on the original single CD of the 5th (1985 remastering)...

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

You're right! I did always like his 5th, but I think I heard the DG one more recently in that Karajan Sibelius box DG did. It just goes to show that there's no substitute for comparative listening in real time, especially when there are so many choices available. Thanks for catching this.

[@ecriturecinematographique2987]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Obviously a question on which there are many reasonable views; if you look up your review of the Philharmonia Fifth on ClassicsToday you’ll find you said that one was his “finest recording of the work.” The one EMI recording that I definitely prefer to the DGs is the Philharmonia Sixth. The lushness of the Berlin recording does not agree with me at all.

[@nicholasjschlosser1724]

Just goes to illustrate Dave's point about the stubborn consistentcy of Karajan's interpretive approach: any of his Sibelius 5ths could be called his "best."

[@bertkarlsson1421]

Dave, have you heard the opera Shintokumaru by japanese composer J.A.CAESAR? It's my favorite opera of all time!!! Turandot by Puccini is my second favorite!!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Haven't heard it.

[@petercable7768]

What is the relevance of this in respect of Dave's review of the Karajan EMI box?

[@bertkarlsson1421]

​@@petercable7768 Have you heard Shintokumaru by J.A.Caesar?

[@CaradhrasAiguo49]

3:50 which Beethoven work are people expected to 'wear a tie for'? I'm not aware of this...

[@mr-wx3lv]

Symphony 9

[@john1951w]

Great review. I agree with you that his Philharmonia days were probably his best.

[@matthewweflen]

Karajan's EMI Sibelius is really good, very hot as you say, throbbing and emotional. 1 and 2 are big fun, and I wish he had completed the cycle with 3! Oh well. The Schubert cycle is very average, and I don't mean that in a bad way. Compared to Blomstedt/Dresden, it's almost note for note, tempo for tempo identical. I love that Four Seasons with Mutter. It absolutely blows away the awful 70s DG version with Schwalbe on violin, which sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom. The EMI is brisk and surprisingly clear, with a forward harpsichord. Probably his best Baroque recording (something that was never his specialty).

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

There's more to the music than tempo (re: the Schubert cycles). Much more.

[@JackBurttrumpetstuff]

and Tapiola 4 times!

[@ThreadBomb]

Odd, I recall Karajan's EMI Bruckner 4 as being good, apart from that weird thing with strings in the first movement. I didn't notice any problems with the sound. I love Karajan's EMI Sibelius. Great thick sound, thrilling sense of power that you don't get in the DG recordings. The only problem was he didn't understand symphony 2, and to be honest I don't think much of his symphony 5 either. Dull stuff compared to the other symphonies and the tone poems. (As many have lamented, Karajan should have recorded Sibelius 3, because it's potentially much more up his street than 2.)

[@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist]

' that weird thing with strings in the first movement.' do you mean the way the 2nd subject is phrased where he ignores the staccato articulation? it seems completely the wrong character ( needs some lilt)

[@wouterdemuyt1013]

There were 101 cd's in the original megabox. Did they throw some stuff out?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I don't know what you mean by "original megabox."

[@wouterdemuyt1013]

I got a big box with all the small EMI boxes you mentioned in them.

[@wouterdemuyt1013]

Or was that released after this one?

[@ftumschk]

The EMI megabox had opera and vocal recordings in it as well. This "Orchestral" box has none (unless we count THE NINTH), and was volume one of two. The second volume repackaged the opera and vocal recordings separately.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

That came later, and it decoupled some of the earlier discs to fit the "theme" of the boxes.