Mozart: The Symphonies

.The resulting sound of the violins from this remaster is rough and strident. The moment you increase the volume of this recording past a certain point, the rawness of the violins and the limitations of the old original source is apparent. I do love the idea of the "Big Band" approach to these recordings, but let's get someone to do a modern-sounding digital recording for this. I still recommend the Decca eloquence new remaster sold in Europe. Check Amazon.UK or any other European Amazon site. It is titled Marriner Dirigient Mozart. It has a great remaster, and the violin and smooth and strong...and hold up to volume/gain increases.

I saved for months to be able to purchase both volumes of the DGG release of Karl Böhm's complete recording of the Mozart Symphonies back in the 70s. Vinyl was expensive in those days! This release, packed onto 10 CDs, cost less than either one of the two lp volumes and the sound is even better. Karl Böhm's Mozart may not be everyone's cup o tea nowadays, what with PC period instrument mania, but to me these are still the gold standard recordings of what Mozart style, wit and grace are all about. The Berlin Philharmonic may not be period instrument nirvana, but what musicianship! All in all, this set has everything to recommend it to anyone interested in the complete symphonies of Mozart, whether novice or aficionado.

For a while I liked Neville Marriner's set, but I ended up growing tired of it. His performances tend to be missing an element of Viennese stateliness that is so important when performing these works. Conversely, this set has Karl Bohm, one of the 20th century's greatest Mozart conductors, conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. Here, we have that stateliness in spades. Bohm coaxes lush string sonorities out of the BPO, conducts with clarity and precision (thus leaving Mozart's dense counterpoint exposed for the listener), and really does an excellent job with tempi. Bohm is often criticized for his sometimes slower pace, however I don't see that problem here. His tempo choices for Mozart tend to fall somewhere in the middle, and oftentimes they sound just right. His 39th is my all-time favorite rendition, with a grandly symphonic tilt on the slow introduction and a lively, aristocratic allegro following; in general he is amongst my top choices for all of Mozart's most important symphonies (25, 28, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35-41). Keep in mind, this is old-school "big-band" Mozart, not the lean, quick style used by many modern conductors of these works...so if your taste falls towards period performances, you may want to look elsewhere. For my taste, Mozart is even more enjoyable when given some time to breathe, and these performances certainly do that (the best example of this would be his unhurried, gorgeous rendition of No. 29). Bohm does omit exposition repeats, for those that care.The sound is absolutely fantastic, as DG applied its Original Image Bit-Processing technique to all of these symphonies. The result is a resurrected sound, with great definition and presence, if slightly distantly recorded. It's hard to believe these were recorded 40+ years ago, as the recordings really sound almost brand-new.Really, for the money, this is probably the best value out there. I also enjoyed Mackerras' readings with the Prague Chamber Orchestra, and the aforementioned Marriner set. Still, this is a set I will definitely be coming back to over and over again. Bohm fans should keep an eye out, as DG has been releasing re-mastered editions of a lot of Bohm's Mozart, including the Sinfonia Concertante (with VPO principals as soloists), the Concerto for 2 pianos & Concerto No. 27 (with Gilels and his daughter), his readings of concertos for flute, bassoon and the great clarinet concerto, and his 2fer package with Eine Kleine Nachmusik, divertimenti, and assorted Serenades (notturna, haffner, posthorn). Fans of this style of Mozart ought to snap all of this up, as his Mozart readings are always worthwhile.

I recently ordered this box set of Mozart Symphonies via Amazon marketplace and have enjoyed listening to each and every symphony. The Berliner Philharmoniker does an outstanding job.Karl Bohm was was not the only one to record a complete cycle of Mozart symphonies, but his version is the benchmark cycle. If you only want one cycle of Mozart, then make this your choice. The other reviewers have already explained in detail why this set is worth getting, so I won't repeat what has already been said. Loved Bohm's rendition of Smyphony 25, that was one of the highlights of this set, along with the later symphonies 35-41.On the other hand, I will point out that there are other conductors you should listen to alongside Bohm. Bruno Walter (One of Karl Bohm's teachers), George Szell and Karl Bohm (in no specific order) were the best Mozart conductors of the 20th century in my opinion. Walter's recordings on Sony are out of print, but some of the George Szell discs are available on Sony and worth considering. However, only Karl Bohm did a complete cycle, the other two just did a few highlights. Again, I highly recommend Bohm, but I feel Szell and Walter are worth mentioning, as many people tend to overlook them and focus largely on the big European Orchestras.Buy this box set!

Straightforward, direct, traditional big orchestra approach. More solid, more listenable than other conductors. Highly recommended.

I agree wholehartedly about the musical and sonic quality of this new edition of Mozart's symphonies. I would only add thai this is it's fourth updating. It first appeared on LPs in 1969, then around 1988 as a CD issue, follwed about 12 years later by a sonically improved edition. This one is even further improved, sonically best of all, and a lot cheaper also. It should also be noted that it offers not only the 40 numbered symphonies, but a total of 47 symphonies that includes several unnumbered but authentic works, one of which has been attributed to W.A.'s father, Leopold Mozart.

This is, of course, a reissue at a cheaper price of the Karl Bohm recordings of the Mozart symphonies made in the 1960's with the Berlin Philharmonic. The sound is warm and spacious and the orchestral playing immaculate. Bohm shapes the performances lovingly; allegros are never forced; the adagios have never sounded more beautiful; the minuets are charming and the finales, while never rushed, have plenty of excitement. As one would expect for a close friend and associate of Richard Strauss [also a great Mozartian] the orchestral textures are clear and do not at all show the 'muddiness' one might expect from a 'big band' like the Berlin Philharmonic. Also, I was continually amazed by Bohm's felicities of phrasing. Nothing sounds exaggerated and there are none of those clever 'original touches' delighted in by some conductors - 'touches' that become increasingly irritating on repeat listenings.A different sound to 'original instrument' Mozart - of course - but these performances from forty years ago do not sound in the slightest bit datedand can be recommended without reservation.

Hace ya muchos años Richter y Bohm me iniciaron en la música de Bach y Mozart respectivamente. Después uno ha oído muchas obras de esos autores y distintas versiones, pero las de estos dos siguen siendo inmortales. Esta Integral de las sinfonías de Mozart es un monumento de la humanidad. La orquesta toca gozosa, las cuerdas se muestran sublimes, la atmósfera calurosa. La belleza del sonido es impresionante y la dirección irrepetible. Aquí no toca hablar de versiones HIP o no. Esto es otro mundo. "Mano de Santo" Bohm, como yo le llamo, deja un testamento irrepetible como director mozartiano. Uno puede tener muchas integrales o versiones de esta obra, mas si no ha oído esto, simple, y sencillamente, se ha perdido echar una mirada al país de las maravillas mozartiano, donde Bohm tiene uno de sus reinos. ¿ Para qué decir más ?.

Great collection of Mozart's symphonies by the remarkable Karl Bohm. SQ is very good for 1960s recordings. The paper sleeves are annoyingly tight, but otherwise, a well-priced addition to any library. Favorites: Symphonies 28, 29, 35, 38, 40-41. His early symphonies are fun, and allow a "tracing" of Mozart's trajectory of musical development, which was fast and relentless. I often wonder, what if Mozart had lived to 70?

Une intégrale des symphonies de Mozart enregistrée dans les années 60, avec l’orchestre philharmonique de Berlin, à la Jesus-Christus-Kirche. L’ensemble avait déjà fait l’objet d’une publication CD au début des années 90.Karl Böhm excelle dans ce répertoire où la précision de cordes de l’OPB est au service d'une direction pleine d’allant et de légèreté.Coffret de 10 disques avec livret succinct. Le détail de chaque CD est indiqué sur les pochettes papier. Pas de problème à sortir les disques contrairement à ce qui est rapporté ci-dessus.

Armer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! Ein brillanter, vielseitiger Komponist, ein musikalischer Wegweiser für nachfolgende Generationen, und doch sind einige seiner Stücke bevorzugt "entfremdet", bagatellisiert worden: Telefonwarteschleifen, Fahrstuhlmusik und Klingeltöne, um nur einige Entstellungen zu nennen. Deswegen muß "mein" Mozart mehr bieten, als eine bloße Abfolge schöner Melodien. Er muß mehr bieten als so mancher "Oberflächen-Mozart", den man inzwischen leider viel zu oft zu hören bekommt.Ich will einen spannenden Mozart, einen, der mich mit seinem Schwung mitreißt. Ich will ihn farbenreich, mit fesselnder Vielfalt. Ich will einen Mozart mit Substanz, also die Kür und nicht die Pflicht. Deshalb reizt mich auch Furtwänglers intensiver Ansatz so sehr, wenngleich unter seiner Leitung nur wenige Werke aufgezeichnet wurden. Doch mit dieser Sinfonien-Box der Deutschen Grammophon habe ich eine überaus stimmige Mozart-Interpretation entdeckt.Karl Böhm dirigiert die Berliner Philharmoniker: Hier vereinigen sich österreichischer Schwung und Grazie mit preußischer Geradlinigkeit und Kraft. Dabei entstand von 1959 bis 1969 ein sehr homogener Mozart, wenngleich nicht vollständig oder gar "übervollständig" - dazu aber später mehr. Böhm und die Berliner bewegen sich auf einem äußerst schmalen Grat, der den Werken einen durchsichtigen und leichtfüßigen Schwung, aber auch eine spannend substantielle Tiefe verleiht. Die Sinfonien strahlen Wärme aus, sind präzise und vielfältig gestaltet und subjektiv stets im optimalen Tempo genommen.Von historischer Aufführungspraxis kann man hier ebensowenig sprechen, wie man kaum glauben mag, daß das Orchester derselbe Koloß ist, der noch fünf Jahre zuvor von Furtwängler zu gewaltigen Klangmassen bewegt wurde.Der InhaltCD 1: Nr. 1, 4-7, KV 76, "Alte Lembacher"CD 2: "Neue Lembacher", Nr. 8-10, KV 81CD 3: Nr. 11 und 12, KV 95-97, KV 75CD 4: Nr. 13-16 und 18CD 5: Nr. 17 und 19-21CD 6: Nr. 22-25 und 27CD 7: Nr. 26 und 28-30CD 8: Nr. 31-34CD 9: Nr. 35, 36 und 38CD 10: Nr. 39-41Nach dem  Mozart-Handbuch  stammen folgende, enthaltene Sinfonien vermutlich bzw. vielleicht nicht vom Komponisten selbst: KV 76, Nr. 8, KV 81, KV 95, KV 97, Nr. 11 und KV 75. Die "Neue Lambacher" wurde inzwischen Leopold Mozart zugeordnet.Trotz dieser erwähnten Einschränkungen, nach denen nicht alle Sinfonien dieser Box gesichert von Mozart sind, bleibt mir eigentlich nur eins zu sagen: Ich will Böhms Mozart, diesen genialen Hybriden aus grazilem Schwung und ausdrucksstarker Tiefe!(Das Begleitheft ist in deutscher, englischer und französischer Sprache.) Mozart-Handbuch