Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mozart's Greatest Symphonies?, 1 Feb 2003
By A Customer
Karl Bohm was a perfectionist, and these are truly great performances which have aged very well indeed. The Berlin Philharmonic are sumptuous, but not excessively so. This is Mozart for the purist, the collector, and also an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to experience Mozart for the first time. The value is excellent too, six of the greatest Mozart symphonies in classic performances at a good price. And the recordings, decades old, are really very fine:there is a warmth, a mellowness here, very easy on the ear. On the other hand, this is Bohm's Mozart. A perfectionist yes, but that could also imply sometimes a lack of adventure or too much of an eye for detail, as you might sense if you compared Bohm to say, Bernstein or Karajan. These latter vary tempos much more, and show more dynamism and excitement I think, as well as a little more romance perhaps. So it all depends either on what you think Mozart should be, or simply what sounds you like to hear. Which also brings up the question of instruments: do you like, or should Mozart be played by, a 'modern' orchestra or one which uses only period instruments? And what about the benefits of Mozart recorded by modern crystal clear digital equipment? Clearly there are questions one can raise about these Bohm Mozart discs, but regardless of whether or not you might feel that one of the great perfectionists has produced a perfect Mozart selection, they are surely a good choice, and definitely excellent value.
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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
40 Years On Still Among The Best, 24 Nov 2004
You might call Karl Bohm's Mozart old fashioned but don't take that as a put down. He does not take up the more recent practice of taking every repeat causing some works to go over 40 minutes. Not for Bohm the fine points of the latest academic trend but instead a a very fine feel for the spirit of Mozart's music. If the dramatic grand gesture is needed then Bohm magnificently provides it. If the music is livelier and more fleet of foot then Bohm sparkles with a wry grin. Overall this is Mozart to enjoy and Bohm never fails the listener. The 40 year old recording needs no excuses and neither do you for not buying these truly wonderful performances.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
very fine performances absolutely to be trusted, 7 Jan 2007
These are excellent performances which have stood the test of time well.
Conductor and orchestra have lived with this music for years and it shows : they are beautifully conceived and beautifully played. They persent this wonderful music without distraction - no eccentricties of interpretation, no 'new ideas', just fine phrasing, crisp attack and a good sense of structure. For me, now, a more authentic 18th.-century approach yields even greater dividends, so I have stopped short of 5 stars, but if you prefer what became the traditional post-Romantic style of Mozart playing, Bohm does it as well as anyone.
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