Karajan conducts Beethoven: Symphonies Nos 1 & 3

For decades after the Second World War, Herbert von Karajan was almost synonymous with Beethoven's symphonies on disc, and his four full recorded cycles were among the best-selling recordings of the LP (and later CD) era, with Karajan taking particular care to ensure that the technical quality of the recordings matched the authority and insight of his interpretative vision. This cycle, filmed with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Wiener Singverein between 1982 and 1986, might be his final testament in this extraordinary music: an experience that no-one interested in great conducting – or simply in Beethoven – will want to miss.

Ensemble: 

Berliner Philharmoniker

Conductor: 

Herbert von Karajan