Customer Reviews

Fountains Of Rome/Quintettino

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't wish to deny that this may be one of the finest recordings Karajan made with the Berlin Philharmonic. Not only is the sound quality fine, but more importantly, the Berlin Philharmonic plays with ample technical precision and warmth. Still, Karajan's interpretations lack the vibrancy I have heard in recent recordings by Dutoit and Maazel; they tend to be sluggish in their tempi, most notably the "Pines Of Rome". Karajan is a bit more successful with the works by Boccherini and Albinoni; the string playing is a bit more refined than with Respighi's scores.

This is one of the most lively performances conducted by von Karajan.

I would have to say that "Pines of Rome" is one of, if not my favorite orchestral peices ever composed! I happened to come by this recording by Karajan by accident, and i've never regretted it since. It is, by far, the best recording I have heard of Resphighi's masterpeice to date. There is a depth to the sonority of the sound that is not heard in many other recordings, and as always, Karajan seems to know exactly what the composer had envisioned the peice[s] to sound like. The tempos, dynamics, and overall interpretation of the peices seem to be perfect in execution. Combine that with the masterfull playing and technique of the world-class ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic, and you have a combination of pure perfection. I also liked the "Fountains of Rome" recording of this CD, it being of the same high quality and sound as "Pines". My only qualms with this recording is the amount of ambient noises that can be heard throughout the recording. Whether it be what sounds like a dropped bow by a string player, or a chair being moved, or a floorboard creaking, these sounds can clearly be heard. HOWEVER, one soon forgets these minor inconveniences once the orchestra starts to play the peices, and the greatness of the technique and sound can be heard (combined with the melodious genius of Respighi). This is a definite must have for all Respighi fans.

Karajan's performance with the Berlin Philharmonic on Respighi is truly excellent. I claim it as one of the best performers I know since Ormandy's performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Karajan's performance, on one hand, is really profound and sounds like a true virtuoso orchestra. But Ormandy's performance, on the other hand, sounds very nice and excellent too. But I tend to hear Karajan's performance on both Respighian music more than Ormandy, so this may be my very favorite Respighian CD, then Ormandy's performance second.

I truly believe that you really should buy this CD if you like classical music.