The Very Best of Herbert von Karajan

His name became synonymous with the best in orchestral music and his legacy of outstanding recordings is enormous. This selection can give just a taste of some of his best and most characteristic performances, beginning with pieces by the masters of the Classical era: Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, including extracts from Mozart's much-loved 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik' and two of Beethoven's most powerful symphonies: Nos 5 and 9. The composers of the Romantic period heard here include Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Dvorák, Richard Strauss, Rachmaninov and Sibelius, and the lighter side of Karajan is shown in two lively polkas and a lilting waltz (the famous 'Blue Danube') by Johann Strauss II. French music is represented by the stirring 'Marche hongroise' from La Damnation de Faust by Berlioz and the colourful España by Chabrier, and Bohemia comes to life in part of The Moldau by the Czech composer Smetana. Karajan was also unsurpassed as a conductor of opera and this is illustrated by his superb performances of the Intermezzo from Puccini's Manon Lescaut, the Prelude to Act III of Wagner's Lohengrin and part of the spectacular Triumphal Scene from Verdi's Aida.

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Works Details

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Serenade no 13 in G, K 525 "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" :: 1. Allegro

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Grunewaldkirche, Berlin (12/30/1959-12/31/1959)
Running Time: 5 min. 48 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Written: 1787

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Concerto for flute & harp in C, K 299 :: 2. Andantino [Excerpt]

Performers: Fritz Helmis (Harp); James Galway (Flute)
Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: French Church, St. Moritz, Switzerland (08/17/1971-08/24/1971)
Running Time: 4 min. sec.
Period Time: Classical
Written: 1778

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : German Dances (3), K 605

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Grunewaldkirche, Berlin (11/09/1960/11/11/1960)
Running Time: 2 min. 46 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Written: 1791

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Concerto for Horn no 4 in E flat, K 495 :: 3. Rondo

Performer: Dennis Brain (Horn)
Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
Running Time: 3 min. 33 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Concerto
Written: 1786

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Symphony no 40 in G minor, K 550 :: 1. Molto allegro

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin (09/21/1970-09/25/1970)
Running Time: 7 min. 42 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Orchestral
Written: 1788

Haydn, Franz Joseph : Symphony no 104 in D "London" :: 3. Menuetto

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Running Time: 4 min. 29 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Orchestral
Written: 1795

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Triple Concerto in D, Op. 56 :: 2. Largo

Performers: David Oistrakh (Violin); Sviatoslav Richter (Piano); Mstislav Rostropovich (Cello)
Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin (09/15/1969-09/17/1969)
Running Time: 5 min. 33 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Written: 1803-1804

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Symphony no 5 in C minor, Op. 67 :: 1. Allegro con brio

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
Running Time: 7 min. 21 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Orchestral
Written: 1808

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Symphony no 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" :: 4. Ode to Joy [Excerpt]

Performers: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Soprano); Otto Edelmann (Bass); Ernst Vocals] (Tenor)
Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: This selection is a mono recording.
Running Time: 5 min. 17 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Orchestral
Written: 1824

Antonin Dvorák (1841 - 1904) : Symphony no 9 "From the New World" :: 2. Largo [Opening]

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (01/02/1977-01/03/1977)
Running Time: 4 min. 33 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Orchestral

Sibelius, Jean : Symphony no 5 in E flat, Op. 82 :: 3. Allegro molto - Largamente assai

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (12/27/1976-12/28/1976)
Running Time: 9 min. 11 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Orchestral
Written: 1919

Strauss, Richard : Don Quixote, Op. 35 :: 2. Theme

Performer: Mstislav Rostropovich (Cello)
Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (01/03/1975-01/08/1975)
Running Time: 2 min. 25 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1897

Rachmaninov, Sergei : Concerto for Piano no 2 in C minor, Op. 18 :: 2. Adagio sostenuto [Opening]

Performer: Alexis Weissenberg (Piano)
Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin (09/21/1972-09/27/1972)
Running Time: 5 min. 6 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Concerto
Written: 1900-1901

Brahms, Johannes : Concerto for Violin in D major, Op. 77 :: 3. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace

Performer: Gidon Kremer (Violin)
Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (03/06/1976-03/07/1976)
Running Time: 8 min. 31 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Concerto
Written: 1878

Strauss II (Junior), Johann : Morgenblätter, Op. 279

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Running Time: 3 min. 17 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: 1868

Strauss II (Junior), Johann : An der schönen blauen Donau, waltz :: [Excerpt]

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (01/04/1975/12/08/1975)
Running Time: 3 min. 48 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Waltz
Written: 1867

Strauss II (Junior), Johann : Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Op. 214

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (01/04/1975/12/08/1975)
Running Time: 2 min. 38 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: 1858

Berlioz, Hector : La damnation de Faust, Op. 24 :: Marche hongroise

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (1978-12-29_1978-12-31&1979-)
Running Time: 4 min. 17 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 11/1845-10/1846

Chabrier, Emmanuel : España, rhapsody for orchestra (also vers. for 2 pianos)

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Composition written: 1883.
Running Time: 6 min. sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1883

Smetana, Bedrich : Vltava (Má vlast) :: [Excerpt]

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (01/02/1977-01/03/1977)
Running Time: 5 min. 25 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1874

Sibelius, Jean : Kuolema

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Running Time: 6 min. 4 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Waltz
Written: 1904

Sibelius, Jean : Karelia Suite, Op. 11 :: 1. Intermezzo

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Running Time: 4 min. 3 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1893

Sibelius, Jean : Karelia Suite, Op. 11 :: 2. Alla marcia

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Running Time: 4 min. 57 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1893

Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945) : Concerto for Orchestra, Sz 116 :: 4. Intermezzo interrotto

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Running Time: 4 min. 24 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Form: Concerto
Written: 1943-1945

Puccini, Giacomo : Manon Lescaut :: Intermezzo

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (1980-11-16_1980-11-17&1981-)
Running Time: 5 min. 25 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1893

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich : Swan Lake :: Act 2. Scene

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Kingsway Hall, London (01/01/1959-01/02/1959)
Running Time: 2 min. 43 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Ballet
Written: 1875-1876

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich : Swan Lake :: Act 2. Dance of the Little Swans

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Kingsway Hall, London (01/01/1959-01/02/1959)
Running Time: 1 min. 37 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Ballet
Written: 1875-1876

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich : Sleeping Beauty :: Act 1. Valse

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Kingsway Hall, London (01/01/1959-01/02/1959)
Running Time: 4 min. 20 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Ballet
Written: 1888-1889

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich : Sleeping Beauty :: Act 1. Rose Adagio

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Kingsway Hall, London (01/01/1959-01/02/1959)
Running Time: 6 min. 11 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Ballet
Written: 1888-1889

Wagner, Richard : Lohengrin :: Act 3. Prelude

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Philharmonie, Berlin (1974-09-22&1974-10-01&1974-)
Running Time: 3 min. 18 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1848

Verdi, Giuseppe : Aida, opera :: Act 2. Scene 2. Gloria all'Egitto -

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Musikvereinssaal, Vienna, Austria (1979-05-07_1979-05-10&1979-)
Running Time: 3 min. 25 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1871

Verdi, Giuseppe : Aida, opera :: Act 2. Scene 2. Triumphal March -

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Musikvereinssaal, Vienna, Austria (1979-05-07_1979-05-10&1979-)
Running Time: 1 min. 45 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1871

Verdi, Giuseppe : Aida, opera :: Act 2. Scene 2. Vieni, o guerriero vindice

Conductor: Herbert Karajan
Notes: Musikvereinssaal, Vienna, Austria (1979-05-07_1979-05-10&1979-)
Running Time: 2 min. 27 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1871

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