# Favorite Klemperer EMI/Warner box set?



## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

There are a large handful of budget box sets dedicated to Otto Klemperer's recordings that have been released in recent years on Warner Classics, formerly EMI. I have been exploring Klemperer's music tangentially, but I want to dive in and get one of these box sets. Problem is, I'm extremely indecisive and keep dithering on which one I want to get. They all look fascinating, and I'm especially curious about the ones which include multiple recordings of a given work. 

Does anyone here own any of these boxes? I'm curious what everyone thinks. There is one with the Beethoven symphonies, Mozart's late symphonies, Mozart's operas, Mahler symphonies (2, 4, 7, 9, and Das Lied, I believe the only ones he's recorded), Bruckner symphonies (4 through 9), Brahms symphonies and requiem, sacred music (including Bach's St. Matthew Passion and B minor mass, Handel's Messiah, and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis), Wagner and Strauss (highlights), Romantic overtures, one with a handful of Baroque composers + Haydn, and then one with Stravinsky, Hindemith, and Weill. Damn, there's even more than I realized. 

The ones I'm really torn between are Mozart, Brahms, and Mahler. The Beethoven and Bruckner look pretty interesting too... 

... so which ones do you all like? Are they a good bang for your buck or a complete waste of money?


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I have many of these performances individually... most of those I would want. If I didn't already own them I would certainly get my hands on the Mozart operas (the 4 late great operas for $20!!! ), the Brahms symphonies, the Wagner highlishts and Strauss tone poems, the Bach/Handel/Beethoven choral works and the Mahler set (both $16 through Marketplace dealers!).


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Amazing value, I think... this is why I'm so torn between them. I think I'm going to get the Brahms because I don't have a set of the Brahms symphonies that I enjoy yet, and I do really like what I heard of his Brahms... I really want the Mahler too, though I already have two Mahler CDs of his so I'd be getting some duplications. I was never interested in his Beethoven until recently when I heard the 1959 recording of the 5th, which I thought was really good, albeit much too slow.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

flamencosketches said:


> Amazing value, I think... this is why I'm so torn between them. I think I'm going to get the Brahms because I don't have a set of the Brahms symphonies that I enjoy yet, and I do really like what I heard of his Brahms... I really want the Mahler too, though I already have two Mahler CDs of his so I'd be getting some duplications. I was never interested in his Beethoven until recently when I heard the 1959 recording of the 5th, which I thought was really good, albeit much too slow.


Listen to his 1955 (?) recording of the 5th, very similar in style but not so slow! My copy is coupled with an earlier recording of the 7th. That 7th was originally only issued in mono but had also been recorded in early stereo which is what you get on that CD.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

^They're both ('55 and '59) included on the Warner box set... all for under 25 bucks  I will surely get that box at some point down the line but I have to prioritize. In the meantime I will have to check out that recording on youtube. Is the audio significantly worse? For some reason it seems there was a monumental improvement in engineering standards during the late '50s...


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I have the Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner sets and all are excellent though there are a couple duds; but you will never get a set of perfect performances. Klemperer had a considered approach to music which shows in his recordings but they are not slow. If you want speed for speed's sake try out Gardiner or Chailly or many other options. You seem to be asking a lot for other people's opinions on various recordings and artists. Why not simply stream the recordings first before purchasing and then decide for yourself?


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

D Smith said:


> I have the Beethoven, Brahms and Bruckner sets and all are excellent though there are a couple duds; but you will never get a set of perfect performances. Klemperer had a considered approach to music which shows in his recordings but they are not slow. If you want speed for speed's sake try out Gardiner or Chailly or many other options. You seem to be asking a lot for other people's opinions on various recordings and artists. Why not simply stream the recordings first before purchasing and then decide for yourself?


I like talking about music with people, and I don't have any friends in real life who listen to classical music. If you read my posts, you will find myriad references to the fact that I have been streaming the recordings in question throughout the process. I never asked anyone to tell me what to buy, and I wouldn't listen if anyone did. I just wanted to start a discussion.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I've got the Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Bruckner, Mozart, and "Romantic Symphonies" sets. They are all highly recommendable, but I would put in a special shout for the last box. There are some very divergent composers in there, despite being lumped together as Romantics. But his Schumann and Tchaikovsky are particularly good (surprisingly so??), and the Weber overtures are an added bonus that I particularly enjoyed.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2019)

Get the Brahms - his recording of the Requiem alone is worth it. After that, my absolute all time favorite recording is his Magic Flute, so get the Mozart Opera box.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I have all of those box sets. They are all worth owning in my book, but just depends on what your interested in.

The Brahms symphonies are at among the best ever recorded and belong in every collection.
The Beethoven symphonies are more controversial. If you want quick, HIP Beethoven then this is not your bag. Some are better than others but as long as you can get past the slower tempos and enjoy them for what they are then they are wonderful and well worth a lifetime of listening.
The Bruckner symphonies are a bit mixed. 4, 6, & 7 are among the best put on disc in my opinion. The others a bit less so.
The Mahler symphonies 2, 9 & Das Lied are fantastic, 4 is great and 7 is good.
The Sacred music collection is great.
The Romantic symphonies collection is mostly great. Legend has it Klemperer fell asleep while conducting Schumann and it wouldn't have surprised me, but most are worth hearing.
The Wagner & Strauss discs are excellent. Don Juan & Death And Transfiguration and all the orchestral Wagner music are top notch.
The Baroque stuff is out of fashion today but excellent. Those Brandenburg's are truly something to hear as well has his Haydn symphonies.
The Modern stuff I'm not an expert on by any means, but I enjoyed everything in that set as well.
The Mozart operas are all well done. The Magic Flute has all the talking cut out so you just get to focus on the music which is nice. Don Giovanni is nice and dark. Just good stuff all around.
The Mozart symphonies I also enjoy. Anyone raised on today's HIP lean and quick Mozart would probably find them a chore but I enjoy the heck out of them.

So I really recommend then all. If you have any other specific's I can try to answer them, but with Klemperer you really have to be open to his tempi. His recordings are clear as a bell, he recorded with split violins so the sound in stereo is wonderful to hear and the clarity he brings to everything is almost unmatched in my book. Woodwinds are always present and clear and not buried. Just a lifetime of rewards if you are willing to really just sit down and listen without preconceived notions of "well it has to sound this way" or "it has to be played at this speed".


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

This is an interesting set if you like Klemperer and the partnership with the young Barenboim (before he became the bore he is today) is always interesting if quirky.
I'd certainly avoid the lumbering Bach and especially the St Matthew Passion which is simply dire in its length.
Bruckner is pretty good
Brahms Requiem is special.
Mahler 2 and das Lied recommended. 
Mozart Zauberflaute is very slow but it is special. Avoid the rest.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

If the new understanding that has been gained from the period revival--with its advances in musicology--over the past four decades, rings true to you, or is of any value, then I expect Klemperer's granite-like slowness in the music of the Baroque era (& elsewhere) will ultimately be a disappointment. He is often much too slow, tempo-wise, and the orchestral & choral forces that he employs overly large, thick, & cumbersome (such as his Handel Messiah, which drags terribly in places!: 



). Despite that I treasure the young Janet Baker's singing of the Agnus Dei in Klemperer's Bach Mass in B minor, and also admire that Klemperer understands the sense of 'majesty' in the final Dona nobis Pacem (unlike a number of the period conductors). Plus, I will occasionally listen to Klemperer's Bach St. Matthew Passion (although rarely). But neither of those recordings is a top 5 recommendation, in my view (and personally, I wouldn't count them as top 10 recommendations, either).

With that said, there are some excellent Klemperer recordings from the Classical era that more than succeed in holding my attention: most especially Klemperer's 'classic' Beethoven Missa Solemnis, which, in my opinion, is a top 5 recommendation (along with his Brahms Requiem, and Mahler Das Lied von der Erde--my #1 pick). In addition, Klemperer is very good in Beethoven's Symphonies No. 4 & 6 (as are a number of the older, more conservative conductors). But again, they're not top 5 choices, in my book. As for the rest of Klemperer's recordings of Beethoven Symphonies, I think they're mostly overrated, regardless of whether we're talking about the mono or stereo recordings (although the mono performances are generally faster & more dynamic, relatively speaking). On the other hand, Klemperer's Mozart operas are enjoyable, particularly his Die Zauberflöte, where he has very fine singers, even though the performances may not be exactly HIP, nor everyone's cup of tea, they are very musical, and show Klemperer in a good light.

Therefore, I don't think Klemperer's Baroque & Classical era box set recordings generally add up to top recommendations, overall, and I'd suggest that you do some sampling on You Tube or elsewhere (perhaps Spotify?) to see if you agree with me, or not, and if so, purchase what you like from those sets on a more selective individual basis.

Where Klemperer is at his best, in my view, is in the Romantic & late Romantic repertory. For example, Klemperer's Wagner, Brahms, and Mahler recordings are mostly exceptional, & that's where I'd suggest you focus your attention & $$$--if the repertory is of interest.

Here are the Klemperer recordings that I wouldn't want to be without:

Wagner--Der Fliegende Holländer (or The Flying Dutchman)
Wagner--Orchestral Highlights: Preludes, Overtures, etc. (2 CDs)
Wagner--Wesendonck-Lieder (with Christa Ludwig)
Brahms--Ein Deutsches Requiem, or German Requiem
Brahms--Violin Concerto (with David Oistrakh)
Beethoven--Missa Solemnis
Mozart--Die Zauberflöte
Mahler--Das Lied von der Erde (with Christa Ludwig & Fritz Wundelich)
Mahler--Symphonies: 2, 4, 7, 9, in the studio, and his live Bavarian 2nd.

In addition, I know collectors that think highly of Klemperer's live 1957 Beethoven 9th from the Royal Festival Hall in London, on the EMI/Testament label (which I don't think is the 9th included in the Beethoven box set?): https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pr...ven+9+testament&qid=1563812324&s=music&sr=1-1), his Fidelio, and Brahms Symphonies 1-4, but again, I prefer other conductors in these works myself. There's also a live EMI Mahler 2nd, with the Bavarian R.S.O., and sopranos Heather Harper & Janet Baker that is riveting, but I don't think that's the 2nd included in the Klemperer Mahler box set?: 



.

With that said, I've never heard any of Klemperer's R. Strauss, Schumann, or Bruckner, but would imagine he's good in this repertory. Nor have I heard his Beethoven Piano Concertos 3, 4, & 5, with Claudio Arrau, on Testament, but would like to (& again, I don't think they're included in the Beethoven box set?): https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Concer...arrau+testament&qid=1563812405&s=music&sr=1-1.

Hope that helps.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

^Somehow, I enjoyed the snippets of that Handel Messiah I sampled. Now, if I had it my way, I would never let the likes of, say, Karajan, touch this repertoire with a 10 foot pole. But I think Klemperer surprisingly brings an interesting interpretive touch to certain Baroque music. I enjoyed what I checked out of his Bach B minor mass, though I must say that that's a work in which I have yet to find a recording from a HIP ensemble that has really worked for me. In fairness, it's not a work I count among my favorites. 

Anyway, I'm going to start with Brahms and go from there. No Baroque Klemperer for me. You should check out his Bruckner sometime, Josquin, I think it's worth a listen. I'm not a big Bruckner guy but I enjoyed everything I sampled.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Pulled the trigger on Brahms. Excited to explore further both this legendary conductor and the music of Brahms, which I’m pretty clueless about.


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