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- Cat.no: SVD 46364
- Cert: E
- Running time: 66’15
- Year: 1983
- Pressing: 1998
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 4 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 and Stereo
- Languages: English, French, German
- Programme Notes: English, French, German
- Presented in Fullscreen
- 16:9-enhanced: No
- Macrovision: No
- Disc Format: DVD 5
- Price: £19.99
- Extras : Scene index, Biography, Programme Notes
Herbert Von Karajan: Beethoven Symphony No.9 in D Minor, Op.125 “Choral” features the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in a 66-minute performance recorded between September 21-28, 1983, in Berlin.
Like the Dvorak DVD, in addition to Karajan swinging his baton we are treated to separately-staged shots of same-instrument musicians playing away with the light shining off their perfectly polished instruments while shot against a black background. This gives each section their own prominence and allows them to be viewed close-up which is difficult from the musicians clustered in front of Karajan.
Perfect picture quality is again the order of the day. Artifacts are nowhere to be found and average bitrate is an excellent 8.12Mb/s. Given that the performance is displayed in 4:3, the disc is obviously not anamorphic – a process used for prints with a ratio of 16:9 or wider which allows extra resolution on widescreen televisions.
Sound options are available for Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1. It comes across superbly in either case.
Extras :
Chapters :
There are 4 chapters, with one for each movement. The track listing is as follows :
1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso (15’27)
2. Molto vivace (10’33)
3. Adagio molto e cantabile (16’00)
4. Presto – Allegro assai – Rezitativo (Baritone) – Allegro assai (24’15)
- Final chorus from Schiller’s “Ode to Joy”
Languages/Subtitles :
This time there are some vocals. While they are sung in their original language, lyrics are available in English, French and German. The biography and programme notes and are also available in the same three languages.
The first option displays an extensive seven-page biog of conductor Herbert Von Karajan, while the latter provides eight pages of info containing what the public thought the very day Beethoven himself previewed it to a waiting world and Karajan’s impressions of the music.
Menu :
Like the Dvorak disc, the menu is static and navigation between the different sub-menus is problem-free.
Overall, it’s another fantastic-looking and sounding DVD from Sony Music, but it’s just a shame that there’s only just over an hour’s worth of material here. A Karajan collection on one DVD would have been the ideal choice.
Still, what’s on here is well worth a look (and a listen) and anyone unfamiliar with “Ode To Joy” will be reminded if they watch their “Die Hard” video at the point where the huge safe was finally opened. FILM : ***** PICTURE QUALITY: ***** SOUND QUALITY: ***** EXTRAS: ** ——————————- OVERALL: ****
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1999.
Check out the Sony Music DVD Web site and the Sony Classical Web site.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.