Karajan Forever: The Greatest Classical Hits (2 CD, FLAC)

Audio CD
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 2 CD Remastered
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 704 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

# Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in E major (“La Primavera,” The Four Seasons; “Il cimento” No. 1), Op.8/1, RV 269 (Allegro)
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Horst Gobel, Michel Schwalbe, Eberhard Finke
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Adagio in C minor for strings & organ (previously attributed to Tommaso Albinoni)
Composed by Remo Giazotto
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Leon Spierer, David Bell
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Serenade for strings (or piano, 4 hands) in C major, Op. 48 Valse
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Divertimento No. 17 for 2 horns & strings in D major, K. 334 (K.320b) Menuetto
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 1, Op. 46 Morning Mood
Composed by Edvard Grieg
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Valse Triste, for orchestra (from Kuolema), Op. 44/1
Composed by Jean Sibelius
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 Molto Allegro
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Symphony No. 9 in E minor (“From the New World”), B. 178 (Op. 95) (first published as No. 5) Largo (excerpt)
Composed by Antonin Dvorak
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Notre Dame, opera Intermezzo
Composed by Franz Schmidt
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Carmen Suites for orchestra Nos. 1 & 2 (assembled by Ernest Guirard) Prelude I (Allegro giocoso)
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Boléro, ballet for orchestra (or piano) conclusion
Composed by Maurice Ravel
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# The Sleeping Beauty, suite for orchestra, Op. 66a Valse
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# La Traviata, opera Prelude to Act III
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Symphony No. 3 in C minor (“Organ”), Op. 78 Finale
Composed by Camille Saint-Saens
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Pierre Cochereau
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zoroaster), tone poem for orchestra, Op. 30 (TrV 176) Introduction
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act Intermezzo sinfonico
Composed by Pietro Mascagni
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Wolfgang Meyer
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major (“Eine kleine Nachtmusik”), K. 525 Allegro
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# The Swan Lake, suite, Op. 20a Scène 1 (Swan Theme)
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Michel Schwalbe
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# An der schönen, blauen Donau (On the Beautiful, Blue Danube), waltz for orchestra (with chorus ad lib), Op. 314 (RV 314)
Composed by Johann II Strauss
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048 1st movement
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Méditation, violin & orchestra version and various arrangements (from opera “Thäis”)
Composed by Jules Massenet
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Michel Schwalbe
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067 Badinerie
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Karlheinz Zoeller
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Gaîté Parisienne, ballet (music by Offenbach arranged by Manuel Rosenthal) Barcarolle
Composed by Jacques Offenbach
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23 1st Movement (excerpt)
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Lazar Berman
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Adagietto, for orchestra (from the Symphony No. 5)
Composed by Gustav Mahler
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Symphony No. 1 in D major (“Classical”), Op. 25 Finale. Molto vivace
Composed by Sergey Prokofiev
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Melody), various arrangements (from “Orfeo ed Euridice”)
Composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
with Karlheinz Zoeller
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Nutcracker, suite from the ballet, Op. 71a Danse de la Fée Dragée
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

# Nutcracker, suite from the ballet, Op. 71a Valse des fleurs
Composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

Meditation!

A veritable who’s who of pieces & composers, the CDs Karajan Forever will hopefully live forever.
Herbert VonKarajan was the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic from 1955 until his demise in 1989. His vision & helmsmanship of this magnificent orchestra have literally changed the way a whole generation heard music.
In this 2 CD collection, DG has kind of done a Greatest Hits. Everything from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi to Opera Overtures, Ballet Themes and Piano Concertos. There is truly something for everyone on this CD, but being an opera fan, 2 of my favorites are on disc 2. The Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana and the Meditation from Thais. This music simply transports the listener to another place and time. The Philharmonic is so in sync- so one that it is hard to believe how huge they really are. I can wholeheartedly recommend this CD without reservation. And it’s a steal at $… for 2 new CDs. For more information on this CD & others in a line paying tribute to Maestro VonKarajan, go to his website: karajan.org
Enjoy!