Dave
Junior Member
Posts: 29 
|
Post by Dave on Apr 7, 2012 13:01:05 GMT 1
|
|
|
|
Post by charlesb on Apr 9, 2012 16:33:34 GMT 1
Also Sprach Zarathustra is one of my favourite pieces of music and I listen to it quite often but I had not heard the 1983 recording for many years. The version I play most often is the 1973 recording on vinyl but I also like Karl Bohm's 1957 BPO recording. I first heard the opening of Bohm's recording on the soundtrack LP for 2001 A Space Odyssey. Unfortunately the Bohm recording has not transferred well to CD.
When the LP of the Karajan 1983 recording was first released, I only listened to it once or twice, as the side break on the LP was not in an ideal break in the music. When I finally got a CD player, the 1983 recording was one of the first CDs that I bought but the sound quality was disappointing on that player. This was the original mix approved by Karajan, not the "Gold" remastering made after his death.
However, when I listened to it today, I was much more impressed by the sound. I am not sure that it is a huge improvement on the analogue recording and I don't think that Karajan's performance of the work had changed much in 10 years.
If you decide to buy the box set, the big disappointment is the Tomova-Sintow recording of 4 Last Songs. Karajan's version with Janowitz was so much better.
Thanks Dave for your post, it encouraged me to listen to the 1983 recording again.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2012 21:06:50 GMT 1
Hi charlesb,
I thought the Space Odyssey track was Karajan VPO (Osborne p. 445).
What do you think about the Legacy for Home DVD version? So far that has the only audience cough (forgot which section) that I am aware of in that series. Of course it has as coupling the Divertimento with cuts.
I always thought there is a re-splice at the Tomowa-Sintow 4 Last Songs #3 at 2:46, (and the Mozart c minor Mass Laudamus 1:25) but not sure if it's just me. I have it on the "Masters" DG series and it does have rare Strauss Karajan pieces on it. T-S looks quite different on the picture compared with the 1977 Beethoven 9.
Regarding the 1977 Beethoven 9, does anyone know if there was a reason why the tenor wasn't the same on the DVD as on the CD? I suppose they would come from the same sessions.
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by charlesb on Apr 9, 2012 21:59:34 GMT 1
Hi tjh212,
You are correct in saying that the Karajan/VPO version was used in the 2001 film. However, on the soundtrack LP, the BPO/Bohm version was used.
If you check the end credits for the film, you will see that the performers are listed for every piece of music in the film except Also Sprach Zarathustra. Decca agreed to allow the Karajan recording to be used in the film but did not want the performers names to be included. Reportedly, Karajan was furious that this chance to promote his record was missed.
The soundtrack LP was released on the MGM label and MGM records were a subsidiary of the Polydor/DGG company. At that time, Decca was still an independent record company (not part of Universal as they are now) so the Polydor management probably decided that it was to their advantage to use a DGG recording on the soundtrack LP.
Personally I think the Also Sprach Zarathustra on Sony DVD is not as good as either of the DGG audio recordings.
Regarding Beethoven 9, according to John Hunt's 1993 discography, the DGG recording released in 1977 was recorded in September 1976 (John Hunt's 2001 discography does not give dates for individual symphonies in the "1977" cycle, just saying that the cycle was recorded between January 1975 and March 1977). The DVD is a live performance from 31/12/1977, a few months after the LPs were released.
|
|
