Post by john on Nov 4, 2008 23:39:26 GMT 1
Hi everyone
I have bought the new NHK box set from Japan.
It is quite expensive, about £90-110 depending on the tax duty.
I was dissapointed to find that the concerts of Schubert 8th plus Tschaikowsky 5th and Dvorak 8th plus Mussorgsky Pictures are spread over 4 CDs, these will fit easily on 2 CDs however in an effort to 'hang' each piece out NHK have included the applause prior to each piece (over 4 minutes in some cases and after each piece (even longer).
The Brahms 2nd, Beethoven 3rd and Mozart 40 are all incomplete concerts and again are spread over 3 discs when 2 would have been sufficient.
The DVD is interesting as it has a lenghthy rehearsal of Dvorak 8th, Wagner Tristan and Tannhauser overtures, unfortunately you can't hear what Karajan is saying, however there is footage of James Galway on the flute, something I have not seen before on any other DVDs.
The interview with Karajan only appears to have japanese subtitles so not much use there.
There is some interesting footage of Karajan during the various Japanese tours including him leaving the plane at the airport in 1988, happy, old and hardly able to walk.
There are some nice still photos shown at the end of the DVD.
The booklet has no photo's and is japanese.
All in all a nice quality box set slightly let down by the small amount of musical content for the large amount of money.
John
I have bought the new NHK box set from Japan.
It is quite expensive, about £90-110 depending on the tax duty.
I was dissapointed to find that the concerts of Schubert 8th plus Tschaikowsky 5th and Dvorak 8th plus Mussorgsky Pictures are spread over 4 CDs, these will fit easily on 2 CDs however in an effort to 'hang' each piece out NHK have included the applause prior to each piece (over 4 minutes in some cases and after each piece (even longer).
The Brahms 2nd, Beethoven 3rd and Mozart 40 are all incomplete concerts and again are spread over 3 discs when 2 would have been sufficient.
The DVD is interesting as it has a lenghthy rehearsal of Dvorak 8th, Wagner Tristan and Tannhauser overtures, unfortunately you can't hear what Karajan is saying, however there is footage of James Galway on the flute, something I have not seen before on any other DVDs.
The interview with Karajan only appears to have japanese subtitles so not much use there.
There is some interesting footage of Karajan during the various Japanese tours including him leaving the plane at the airport in 1988, happy, old and hardly able to walk.
There are some nice still photos shown at the end of the DVD.
The booklet has no photo's and is japanese.
All in all a nice quality box set slightly let down by the small amount of musical content for the large amount of money.
John
