- Original Release Date: 4 Feb 2008
- Release Date: 4 Feb 2008
- Number of Discs: 6
- Label: EMI Classics
- Copyright: (C) 2008 EMI Records Ltd.
- Total Length: 7:30:14
- Genres:
- ASIN: B001ISR8LC
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 25,798 in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 in MP3 Albums)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
There has always been a school of thought that claims the orchestra doesn't really need a conductor & that his/her influence is only minimal. For me Herbert Von Karajan has always been the one conductor who completely disproves that theory. For good or ill his influence upon an orchestra is always clearly felt & his own particular style is indelibly stamped upon every recording of his work.
Karajans style of lightening quick, abrupt & forceful interpretation seems to divide music lovers straight down the middle, you either love him or hate him,. Occasionally his temperament jarrs & doesn't work well with a piece but this is rare & all too often the excitement & pace he injects lifts even the most mundane or often repeated piece to a state of breathless expectation that is hard not to enjoy.
This 6 CD collection is really a sampler for a complete collection release from EMI but in truth it is in itself complete & quite magnificent. The engineering quality is superb considering the age of many of the recordings. The selection chosen,( the '100' of the title), range from the instantly recognizable to the not so often heard & each & every one is worth it's inclusion. As a whole these 100 tracks serve to not only showcase Karajan's abilities to great effect but are a superb collection of some truly great orchestral pieces in their own right.
Well packaged & at a price that means less than 5p a piece this is ridiculously good value for money. If you are a fan of the man already then perhaps the complete collections may be worth considering but if you are new to him & want to give it a try or just want a comprehensive collection of orchestral classics then quite frankly it is almost impossible to find anything to fault in this collection.
Karajans style of lightening quick, abrupt & forceful interpretation seems to divide music lovers straight down the middle, you either love him or hate him,. Occasionally his temperament jarrs & doesn't work well with a piece but this is rare & all too often the excitement & pace he injects lifts even the most mundane or often repeated piece to a state of breathless expectation that is hard not to enjoy.
This 6 CD collection is really a sampler for a complete collection release from EMI but in truth it is in itself complete & quite magnificent. The engineering quality is superb considering the age of many of the recordings. The selection chosen,( the '100' of the title), range from the instantly recognizable to the not so often heard & each & every one is worth it's inclusion. As a whole these 100 tracks serve to not only showcase Karajan's abilities to great effect but are a superb collection of some truly great orchestral pieces in their own right.
Well packaged & at a price that means less than 5p a piece this is ridiculously good value for money. If you are a fan of the man already then perhaps the complete collections may be worth considering but if you are new to him & want to give it a try or just want a comprehensive collection of orchestral classics then quite frankly it is almost impossible to find anything to fault in this collection.
35 of 36 people found the following review helpful
By B. C. Thomas
Format:Audio CD
Having bought many discs in the past with these types of chunks of music from composers I did not expect to be buying another but when I saw 6 Karajan CD's for under a tenner i could not help myself. I have grown up listening to the maestro since i was a
teenager in the 1960's and I think you either love or dislike his style. Some of the recordings in the set are as old as me and EMI have done a great job tranferring the music. Many of these recordings date from begore he became principal conductor for the Berlin Philharmonic and sound younger and livelier than his later recordings with the BPO.
Some younger listeners who have grown up with original instruments and baroque music played by smaller forces may be a little shocked to hear the full forces of a big orchestra playing Vivaldi and Handel but that was the way then and it was the only way we heard the music.
If you like your music in small chunks the way they play it on Classic FM then you will love this set and of course it is a must for any Karajan Fan.
One warning though beware of the case, when you take the discs out you feel like they are going to snap in half so tight are the plastic ring holders in the centre. Get them out of the box into new cases
teenager in the 1960's and I think you either love or dislike his style. Some of the recordings in the set are as old as me and EMI have done a great job tranferring the music. Many of these recordings date from begore he became principal conductor for the Berlin Philharmonic and sound younger and livelier than his later recordings with the BPO.
Some younger listeners who have grown up with original instruments and baroque music played by smaller forces may be a little shocked to hear the full forces of a big orchestra playing Vivaldi and Handel but that was the way then and it was the only way we heard the music.
If you like your music in small chunks the way they play it on Classic FM then you will love this set and of course it is a must for any Karajan Fan.
One warning though beware of the case, when you take the discs out you feel like they are going to snap in half so tight are the plastic ring holders in the centre. Get them out of the box into new cases
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Barak Gonen
Format:Audio CD
Usually, I won't buy a collection of tracks because for me, listening to odd movements from whole pieces is like going to a picture exhibition to watch only details from pictures. What's the point? A piece was written to be listened to as a whole.
BUT, Karajan's 100 Best makes an exception. This collection is pure gold and serves as a showcase for one of the greatest conductors.
Most of the tracks are so well known any listener would recognize them but would also expect to gain a renewed appreciation while listening to them in the Krajan interpretation with full sound and maticulous care for minute details.
Before listening I was concerned that some of the recordings, especially the digital remasters done at the 80's, may sound odd and lifeless, maybe with even squeaking violins on the high notes. Not so. The sound is full, warm and fresh on my system and the magic of Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker on most tracks (who else?) was advanced, carefully preserved, to the future, thus enabling new listeners to enjoy the maestro and his orchestra like they sounded on vinyl LPs at his prime.
If you'd like to know Karajan, this is a good place to start.
No reservations.
Expect nothing but the best.
BUT, Karajan's 100 Best makes an exception. This collection is pure gold and serves as a showcase for one of the greatest conductors.
Most of the tracks are so well known any listener would recognize them but would also expect to gain a renewed appreciation while listening to them in the Krajan interpretation with full sound and maticulous care for minute details.
Before listening I was concerned that some of the recordings, especially the digital remasters done at the 80's, may sound odd and lifeless, maybe with even squeaking violins on the high notes. Not so. The sound is full, warm and fresh on my system and the magic of Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker on most tracks (who else?) was advanced, carefully preserved, to the future, thus enabling new listeners to enjoy the maestro and his orchestra like they sounded on vinyl LPs at his prime.
If you'd like to know Karajan, this is a good place to start.
No reservations.
Expect nothing but the best.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
CD
Excellent value for money! very good selection of the most popular pieces, you can sit back and indulge! Strongly recommended!
Published 3 months ago by mgf
5.0 out of 5 stars
A master of his art.
Thank you EMI for this 6 CD release of 100 great works conducted by Herbert Von Karajan. He was indeed a master of his art. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Uenna
5.0 out of 5 stars
Karajan-His greatest hits!
Seven and one half hours of glorious music for a fiver,how can you be anything but happy with this.Classic music buffs will complain that this type of bits & pieces complilation is... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Steve Robson
1.0 out of 5 stars
Who wrote it
The reviews for this item are all for the disc format , not the download- As always Amazon refuse to accept that to listen to music like this it is essential to know who wrote it-I... Read more
Published 10 months ago by brisbridge
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent...
I'm not a Karajan fan but this box contains pointers to many of his best recordings, many of them for EMI with the Philarmonia Orchestra in its glory days. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Florestan's Music
4.0 out of 5 stars
Flawed genius
Nothing wrong with the genius - the flaw lies with the collection.
It's all good but just out-classic-fms classic fm. Read more
It's all good but just out-classic-fms classic fm. Read more
Published on 29 May 2008 by Andrew Keulemans
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