HAYDN 103

[lee]

Good Morning Everyone

I wonder if anyone could help me source a certain Karajan recording, specifically the Haydn symphony No 103 made with the Vienna PO for Decca in the early 1960's. To the best of my knowledge, this has only ever been available on CD as part of the 9 CD boxset of all Karajan's VPO/Decca recordings, which I'm loathe to buy as I already own every other performance in it ! Or am I wrong ? Is there a separate release available ?

Your help would be appreciated,


Lee

[David]

Hello Lee - hope all is well with you.

On looking around for this recording this morning on various UK sites, I seem to have drawn a complete blank; but then just before abandoning the search I decided to look at a few Japanese sites.

Bingo!

I suppose we shouldn’t really be at all surprised by this as it seems to me that on most things 'Karajan' they seem to be light years ahead of Europe.

I found that Universal Classics in Japan had released about ten singly available CDs of the early VPO Decca recordings at the end of last year. The following link should show the details after translating from the Japanese:-

tinyurl.com/6jd2by

Haydn 103 is available on UCCD-9504 along with Symphony 104.

You will notice that there are links from the Universal Classics page to the Japanese HMV & Amazon sites. I have used Amazon in Japan without any problems, but in this case the entry didn’t seem too clear with no picture and no confirmation of the disc number, UCCD-9504. I haven’t used HMV Japan.

Earlier this year I purchased a DVD from CDJAPAN.CO.JP without any problems and so possibly this may be your best option here. You can also use PAYPAL with this company. The price quoted is 1000 yen. Postage is not shown on the initial page but mine was 800 for one DVD. 1,800 yen is about £8.50.

Here is the starting point -
www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=UCCD-9504

Best Wishes -
David

[lee]

Hi David

Sincere thanks for your detailed and informative response.

I guess that this is another item for the Japanese wishlist ! Fantastic cover too !! You are correct - Japan seem light years ahead of everyone in term s of releases of HvK - I wonder if their attitude to him is somewhat tempered by their own troubled past, whereas in the West we seem to blame Karajan for everything from the outbreak of World War II onwards ?

All is well with me, thank you. It's my birthday today - got the Sony/Karajan Bruckner Symphonies and Mussorgsky Pictures on DVD, so am looking forward to some riveting TV later !

Trust all is well with you - have you received your mammoth DVD set from Japan yet ? And if so, are you pleased ?

With warm regards,
Lee

[David]

Hello again Lee,

Thanks for your note - I’m pleased the info. was of use.

Also I hope that you enjoyed your Sony birthday DVDs - sounds great to me.

Yes, the mammoth DVD set arrived from Japan without any problems only 6 days after the release date. Amazon Japan; very impressive. It’s all actually for my 65th in August but it has been decreed that I should not see or use it before then. I’m told that everything is in order with the goods. Anyway it’s far better that I should be spending the summer outdoors pulling weeds out of the soil etc. rather than wasting my time away watching Karajan on DVD. Erm ?

Best Wishes -
David

[lee]

Hi David

Thank you for your best wishes and congratulations/commiserations for your upcoming 65th !

I was intrigued by your comment that you are not allow to see and use your latest acquisition from Amazon Japan until the big day - presumably you are saying that you are not allow to see the DVDs and use the baton ?!!

Best regards and hope the garden's looking good, Lee