By general acclamation this 1963 production ranks as the finest of Karajan’s four complete cycles, and while some listeners might prefer individual performances from later (or earlier) sets, here the consensus really is correct. The reason is easy to understand: by 1963 Karajan had managed to put his personal stamp on the orchestra in terms of polish and virtuosity, playing the music like a sort of high-gloss Toscanini, but he had not yet succumbed to that fetish for smoothness at all costs that so often mars his later work–and that incidentally banished the orchestra’s wind, brass, and percussion sections to several decades of sonic purgatory, at least on recordings.
And so in the Seventh the horns ring out as they should; the winds make their emphatic contribution to the Second Symphony’s rich textures; the Pastoral hasn’t lost every vestige of charm as it was later to do; and the chorus in the finale of the Ninth has more impact than latterly. This classic set was very well remastered as part of DG’s complete Beethoven Edition, and here on SACD stereo the improvement is small but noticeable, perhaps not so much in terms of brighter timbres or increased clarity, but as a function of added warmth and naturalness–a touch more depth to the sound image and a greater sense of fullness. The bonus CD of Karajan rehearsing the Ninth is interesting and a thoughtful gesture. In short, whatever the medium, these performances have withstood the test of time, and even if Karajan’s is not your favorite Beethoven (and it’s not mine), there’s no denying this set’s excellence.
