Hello Mr Hurwitz,today you made me especially happy with your presentation of Karajan's EMI operas!I am also sorry that we had to go through this segment of Karajan's creations so quickly ,many of which are fantastically beautiful...This time I will highlight only one work of infinite beauty Pelleas and Melisande!Karajan himself said that he loved conducting this opera the most.
@@bbailey7818 it cuts important pieces of the plot for no reason whatsoever. Funny his first and better Decca version was more than complete with ballet (also a plot killer)
This is surely a video that more time could have been given to. One of the amazing things about Karajan is that if he did nothing else, for EMI or any other label, just looking at this body of work alone, he would have to be considered one of the greatest conductors in recording history. I have reason enough to disparage Karajan for his Nazi affiliation (though that seemed to be more a matter of careerism than conviction, but I haven’t read enough on the subject), but his records compel me to listen. You (Mr. Hurwitz) have been very fair in your treatment of Karajan, calling it as you hear it in both directions…but I myself rate him higher than you in some respects: I love his Beethoven, almost all of it, and even his sacred music…I too guard against syrupy, false religious presentations, but I don’t hear it from Karajan. Thanks for this video!
Funny enough I listened to the Karajan/ Falstaff this morning. It is not an opera I am mad about but I was won over by the recording. Lovely ensemble performance.
I'm glad you gave the 1954 'Cosi fan tutte' its due in the video, David, but I wonder that no one in the commentaries, when mentioning the best Karajan opera recordings, seem to highlight this recording, that ooccurs to me to count among the best Mozart recordings of the 20th century. You mention in your review the intimacy of the interpretation, I would also emphasize its visceral and almost palpable sensuality, e.g. the terzettino 'Soave il vento ...", here you can almost feel the soft neapolitan evening breeze caress your skin - with Karajan balancing the orchestral accompaniment perfectly: the flowing, slightly undulating movement in the muted violins and the tenuto violas slightly to the fore. A lot of negative things can justifiably be said about the willful Walter Legge, but here he as producer is working wonders in the studio. Almost unbelievable that he could conjure up such a sound landscape in 1954-mono-sound! There is also the right mix of humour and wistful melancholy in the interpretation, that really makes you appreciate this work as the superb 'comédie humaine' of the 18th century. Karajan at the helmet negotiates the transitions of the different parts of the opera seamlesly and with perfect tempo choices (unlike some of his other, earlier Mozart opera recordings, that tend to sound rushed) - and to a 't', through the overall 'colour' of the sound picture (f.ex. the emphasis on and relative protruberance of the middle voices throughout the opera), makes the work stand out as a whole, larger than its disparate parts. The cast is a dream team - let it suffice to mention Schwarzkopf in brilliant voice and using the affectation, that sometimes can irk and irritate, to interpretative advantage, e.g. in the faux opera seria aria 'Come scoglio' ('I am like a rock') and in other places in "high style", where exactly the affectation reveals the hollownes of her highminded character (more built upon the sand than founded upon a rock); Nan Merriman, her fruity voiced, contrasting mezzo-sister; and Leopold Simoneau, the most mellifluous, vulnerable, yet manly Ferrando to ever grace the sound stage. I could go on, but hope I've succeded in awakening enough curiosity for people to (re)visit this eminent recording of the splendid, but at the same time very humane work of Mozart's!
An essential part of your Karajan survey; thanks for reviewing it. I am so glad I purchased this box, and its companion orchestral box, when they were first available. Incredible bargains, both. After at least a decade, I still haven't heard all of the treasures the opera/choral set contains. And there are treasures indeed, as you pointed out. My ears tells me that Karajan's "Seasons" is possibly the most powerful version on disc, though not the best sung. Listen anew to the introduction to "Spring," the Hunting Chorus or the Bacchanal with which Fall concludes, and see if you don't agree. The ensemble is at times a bit loose, but what impact! In general, too, I don't find the "treacle" in all of Karjan's sacred choral recordings. Again, there's power in reserve in the Beecoven Missas and Brahms German Requiems contained in this box (and all of them seem better to me than his DG versions). In any case, thanks again, and I can't wait to hear your comments on the EMI Karajan complete orchestral recordings box. If I "keep on listening," I may actually finish hearing everything these two boxes contain in the time left to me on this Earth.
A great review of an important and underappreciated part of the Karajan legacy. I am with you on Don Carlo, Pelleas, the Callas Trovatore and Salome, which I adore, and have yet to hear many of the other recordings. I am glad you highlighted Act III of the Valkyrie. The sound falls short and S Bjorling may not be an ideal Wotan, but it is lots of fun.
I've had this box for many years and never heard a review of it -- now I want to listen to Aida, Ariadne, Falstaff, Pelleas, Cosi, Don Carlo, Meistersinger, Lucia, Butterfly.
@captainhaddock6435: “Cappy Cod”, WHAT WOULD BE WRONG WITH CALLING IT THE “SCHWARZKOPF BOX”? Dame Elisabeth was GREAT! How could you not like her DER ROSENKAVALIER? Go fish!!!
I've got those 2 EMI Karajan box sets and they are both really lovely. I always enjoy Karajan's recordings , Herbert von Karajan and Eugene Ormandy are 2 of my favorite conductors. I'm glad you are reviewing those 2 box sets.
The recordings from Otello on must feature the most varied approach to sound design in anyone's recorded legacy, often frustratingly so. I wish they had remastered these before releasing it. Big fan of the Aida and Don Carlo, both great examples of how excitement and power can be achieved at slower ( or at least not frantic) speeds.
I recently heard the 2nd Meistersinger again and it really is almost a reference recording. It would be were it not for Adam who characterizes well but doesn't sing like a master. I learned the opera from the 1951 live on Seraphim. There the weak link is Hopf; and a wobbly Pogner but that really only matters in his Act 1 solo.
Arturo Basile conducted L. Price’s first TROVATORE, which had some small cuts, Richard Tucker and Leonard Warren. Yes the second one is best. What is sad about this third recording is that when Karajan filmed it he refused to use Price because “there were Negroes in Spain at that time in history.” Once a Nazi, always a Nazi!
Karajan has been so maligned through the ages as this evil entity that destroyed the Berlin Phil. Jim Svejda in LA had him banned from his radio show for decades. Thanks for reinstating his invaluable contribution to the world of Opera. Missing (because is on Decca maybe) is that memorable Boheme with Pavarotti and Freni ... ohh and that Aida with Tebaldi (don't recall the label).
Dernesch has some beautiful moments in the Tristan, but yes she doesn’t have the voice. There’s a radio broadcast of the live Tristan that the cast performed at Salzburg around the same time, and she completely loses her voice towards the end of the love duet.
Thoughts on the Karajan Official Remastered Edition, parts of which are available from Warner and appear to be currently in print at a not exorbitant price? Perhaps you reviewed it previously?
In terms of volume, I value the 1950s opera recordings more than the later ones, with the exception of the Dresden Meistersinger. Il Trovatore, Falstaff and Cosi are simply irreplaceable. Where I disagree with Dave Hurwitz is with Jon Vickers, for me one of the ugliest voices I ever heard, both on disc and live, with those weird intonations of vowel sounds. As I have my favourites on separate discs I won't be buying this mammoth box, but clearly need to find out what the Pelleas et Melisande is like as for reasons I can't explain I have never heard it, so thanks for your recommendation there.
Because, as I mention at the start of the video, I'm covering all of Karajan's recorded legacy for his two major labels. I don't care when something was issued, or if it's in print. Availability comes and goes, and most listeners can find sources for individual performances, so it's worth mentioning them.
Dernesch as Leonore. When Silja took her cap off and her hair down tumbled you thought wow! When Dernesch did it, you thought silly bitch, risking discovery to save your hair.
It’s such a relief to know that I’m allowed to dislike and at least occasionally avoid the Magic Flute. Zoroaster or Sarastro or whatever his name is bores on and on, and the whole Masonic tediousness drives Act II to the Abyss of Snooze City. 😴💤🛌
@@davidblackburn3396 I should have been clearer: When I mentioned being “allowed” I was referring to the nice people who work here and who were kind enough to undo my straitjacket long enough for me to type a comment. The bad people surround me sometimes and hum the Magic Flute, Act 2, in my ears. Out of tune. 🤪
Hello Mr Hurwitz,today you made me especially happy with your presentation of Karajan's EMI operas!I am also sorry that we had to go through this segment of Karajan's creations so quickly ,many of which are fantastically beautiful...This time I will highlight only one work of infinite beauty Pelleas and Melisande!Karajan himself said that he loved conducting this opera the most.
The Vickers/Freni/Glossop/Karajan Otello was my introduction to that marvelous opera. It still holds a special place in my heart.
Shame it has two stupid cuts
@@jaykauffman4775AMEN. I think I hate that cut in the Act 3 ensemble more than any cut in any opera.
@@bbailey7818 it cuts important pieces of the plot for no reason whatsoever. Funny his first and better Decca version was more than complete with ballet (also a plot killer)
@@jaykauffman4775: And it had the worst Iago: Aldo Protti.
@@johnpickford4222 as you probably know Protti was a late replacement for Bastianini who was was fired by Karajan for not learning the role.
Thank you, Dave Hurwitz. Enjoyed this.
This is remarkably entertaining as well as educational. Kudos.
This is surely a video that more time could have been given to. One of the amazing things about Karajan is that if he did nothing else, for EMI or any other label, just looking at this body of work alone, he would have to be considered one of the greatest conductors in recording history.
I have reason enough to disparage Karajan for his Nazi affiliation (though that seemed to be more a matter of careerism than conviction, but I haven’t read enough on the subject), but his records compel me to listen. You (Mr. Hurwitz) have been very fair in your treatment of Karajan, calling it as you hear it in both directions…but I myself rate him higher than you in some respects: I love his Beethoven, almost all of it, and even his sacred music…I too guard against syrupy, false religious presentations, but I don’t hear it from Karajan.
Thanks for this video!
Funny enough I listened to the Karajan/ Falstaff this morning. It is not an opera I am mad about but I was won over by the recording. Lovely ensemble performance.
There is also a Karajan FALSTAFF DVD which is not quite as good but Taddei makes it worth having. (cheap)
I'm glad you gave the 1954 'Cosi fan tutte' its due in the video, David, but I wonder that no one in the commentaries, when mentioning the best Karajan opera recordings, seem to highlight this recording, that ooccurs to me to count among the best Mozart recordings of the 20th century.
You mention in your review the intimacy of the interpretation, I would also emphasize its visceral and almost palpable sensuality, e.g. the terzettino 'Soave il vento ...", here you can almost feel the soft neapolitan evening breeze caress your skin - with Karajan balancing the orchestral accompaniment perfectly: the flowing, slightly undulating movement in the muted violins and the tenuto violas slightly to the fore. A lot of negative things can justifiably be said about the willful Walter Legge, but here he as producer is working wonders in the studio. Almost unbelievable that he could conjure up such a sound landscape in 1954-mono-sound!
There is also the right mix of humour and wistful melancholy in the interpretation, that really makes you appreciate this work as the superb 'comédie humaine' of the 18th century.
Karajan at the helmet negotiates the transitions of the different parts of the opera seamlesly and with perfect tempo choices (unlike some of his other, earlier Mozart opera recordings, that tend to sound rushed) - and to a 't', through the overall 'colour' of the sound picture (f.ex. the emphasis on and relative protruberance of the middle voices throughout the opera), makes the work stand out as a whole, larger than its disparate parts.
The cast is a dream team - let it suffice to mention Schwarzkopf in brilliant voice and using the affectation, that sometimes can irk and irritate, to interpretative advantage, e.g. in the faux opera seria aria 'Come scoglio' ('I am like a rock') and in other places in "high style", where exactly the affectation reveals the hollownes of her highminded character (more built upon the sand than founded upon a rock); Nan Merriman, her fruity voiced, contrasting mezzo-sister; and Leopold Simoneau, the most mellifluous, vulnerable, yet manly Ferrando to ever grace the sound stage.
I could go on, but hope I've succeded in awakening enough curiosity for people to (re)visit this eminent recording of the splendid, but at the same time very humane work of Mozart's!
Great Vid! Otello with Domingo? Surely Vickers...
Yes, you're right, but I think the booklet said Domingo (of course, I could have been hallucinating).
An essential part of your Karajan survey; thanks for reviewing it. I am so glad I purchased this box, and its companion orchestral box, when they were first available. Incredible bargains, both. After at least a decade, I still haven't heard all of the treasures the opera/choral set contains. And there are treasures indeed, as you pointed out. My ears tells me that Karajan's "Seasons" is possibly the most powerful version on disc, though not the best sung. Listen anew to the introduction to "Spring," the Hunting Chorus or the Bacchanal with which Fall concludes, and see if you don't agree. The ensemble is at times a bit loose, but what impact! In general, too, I don't find the "treacle" in all of Karjan's sacred choral recordings. Again, there's power in reserve in the Beecoven Missas and Brahms German Requiems contained in this box (and all of them seem better to me than his DG versions). In any case, thanks again, and I can't wait to hear your comments on the EMI Karajan complete orchestral recordings box. If I "keep on listening," I may actually finish hearing everything these two boxes contain in the time left to me on this Earth.
A great review of an important and underappreciated part of the Karajan legacy. I am with you on Don Carlo, Pelleas, the Callas Trovatore and Salome, which I adore, and have yet to hear many of the other recordings. I am glad you highlighted Act III of the Valkyrie. The sound falls short and S Bjorling may not be an ideal Wotan, but it is lots of fun.
I've had this box for many years and never heard a review of it -- now I want to listen to Aida, Ariadne, Falstaff, Pelleas, Cosi, Don Carlo, Meistersinger, Lucia, Butterfly.
Dang this thing could easily be marketed as a Schwarzkopf-Box
@captainhaddock6435: “Cappy Cod”, WHAT WOULD BE WRONG WITH CALLING IT THE “SCHWARZKOPF BOX”? Dame Elisabeth was GREAT! How could you not like her DER ROSENKAVALIER? Go fish!!!
@@johnpickford4222 I think you forgot a few exclamation marks
I've got those 2 EMI Karajan box sets and they are both really lovely. I always enjoy Karajan's recordings , Herbert von Karajan and Eugene Ormandy are 2 of my favorite conductors. I'm glad you are reviewing those 2 box sets.
I agree. I bought these two boxes when they came out.
The recordings from Otello on must feature the most varied approach to sound design in anyone's recorded legacy, often frustratingly so. I wish they had remastered these before releasing it. Big fan of the Aida and Don Carlo, both great examples of how excitement and power can be achieved at slower ( or at least not frantic) speeds.
I recently heard the 2nd Meistersinger again and it really is almost a reference recording. It would be were it not for Adam who characterizes well but doesn't sing like a master. I learned the opera from the 1951 live on Seraphim. There the weak link is Hopf; and a wobbly Pogner but that really only matters in his Act 1 solo.
The 1947 German Requiem has Hans Hotter singing like God from a mountain. It's terrific.
Nah. It takes more than God from a mountain to be terrific.
Arturo Basile conducted L. Price’s first TROVATORE, which had some small cuts, Richard Tucker and Leonard Warren. Yes the second one is best. What is sad about this third recording is that when Karajan filmed it he refused to use Price because “there were Negroes in Spain at that time in history.” Once a Nazi, always a Nazi!
Maybe now that Warner has redone all the Klemperer stuff, they’ll get around to Karajan (with original jackets!) … it’s gotta be coming eventually
For a great Leontyne Price Trovatore, see if you can find her performance at the Met with Franco Corelli. Those were the days!
Karajan has been so maligned through the ages as this evil entity that destroyed the Berlin Phil. Jim Svejda in LA had him banned from his radio show for decades. Thanks for reinstating his invaluable contribution to the world of Opera. Missing (because is on Decca maybe) is that memorable Boheme with Pavarotti and Freni ... ohh and that Aida with Tebaldi (don't recall the label).
Decca too.
Dernesch has some beautiful moments in the Tristan, but yes she doesn’t have the voice. There’s a radio broadcast of the live Tristan that the cast performed at Salzburg around the same time, and she completely loses her voice towards the end of the love duet.
I wish the Otello was with Domingo, but as far as I remember, it was Vickers singing the title role 😲 does the booklet really say Domingo?
Who knows? I could have been delusional. It wouldn't be the first time.
The booklet actually says Domingo!!
@@fred6904 I thought I was just reading what it said...
There should be a mistake. Karajan's Otello on EMI is with Jon Vickers, not with Domingo. This should be a misprint in the booklet.
It is.
Thoughts on the Karajan Official Remastered Edition, parts of which are available from Warner and appear to be currently in print at a not exorbitant price? Perhaps you reviewed it previously?
Stay tuned.
Is the 1951 Bayreuth Meistersinger the same master of the 1990 EMI issue or is a remastered version?
In terms of volume, I value the 1950s opera recordings more than the later ones, with the exception of the Dresden Meistersinger. Il Trovatore, Falstaff and Cosi are simply irreplaceable. Where I disagree with Dave Hurwitz is with Jon Vickers, for me one of the ugliest voices I ever heard, both on disc and live, with those weird intonations of vowel sounds. As I have my favourites on separate discs I won't be buying this mammoth box, but clearly need to find out what the Pelleas et Melisande is like as for reasons I can't explain I have never heard it, so thanks for your recommendation there.
Poor Carreras, he was pushed too much by Karajan.
I'm new to your channel. I'm wondering why you took the time to review a box set that is 15 years old and appears to be out of print?
Because, as I mention at the start of the video, I'm covering all of Karajan's recorded legacy for his two major labels. I don't care when something was issued, or if it's in print. Availability comes and goes, and most listeners can find sources for individual performances, so it's worth mentioning them.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Sorry, somehow I missed the start of the video. Thank you for your explaination. Now I get it.
Dernesch as Leonore. When Silja took her cap off and her hair down tumbled you thought wow! When Dernesch did it, you thought silly bitch, risking discovery to save your hair.
It’s such a relief to know that I’m allowed to dislike and at least occasionally avoid the Magic Flute. Zoroaster or Sarastro or whatever his name is bores on and on, and the whole Masonic tediousness drives Act II to the Abyss of Snooze City. 😴💤🛌
You're "allowed" to dislike it of course. Why you feel you need permission, well... But the fact that you do makes me doubt your sanity.
@@davidblackburn3396 I should have been clearer: When I mentioned being “allowed” I was referring to the nice people who work here and who were kind enough to undo my straitjacket long enough for me to type a comment. The bad people surround me sometimes and hum the Magic Flute, Act 2, in my ears. Out of tune. 🤪
@@Cor6196 That's cute, but not really funny. You go on too long. Brevity is the soul of wit. I think Soupy Sales said that.