# Which CDs from Karajan Box to purchase given I already own his Beethoven Symphony Box



## radiodurans (Dec 8, 2018)

I found someone selling his Complete Karajan Box Set CDs (the 240 CD edition) at $2 a CD. I figure I could pick up 25 of them at that price. I already own his 1963 Beethoven 9 Symphonies Box. Which of these CDs would you choose if you could only get 25 of them? Thanks for the help in choosing.

https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/0eb70f80-7d09-4554-8b54-ebc157098ab6


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

Is the whole box intact, together with the wooden display box? 480 USD is relatively speaking a “bargain” considering it is selling at 153,955 yens second hand on Amazon JP!


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## radiodurans (Dec 8, 2018)

Kiki said:


> Is the whole box intact, together with the wooden display box?


He doesn't have the wooden display box in his photos and is missing a couple of the boxes (not the CDs themselves, the boxes).


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

radiodurans said:


> He doesn't have the wooden display box in his photos and is missing a couple of the boxes (not the CDs themselves, the boxes).


That's a pity... I suppose you might want to consider getting the repertoire that you are interested in. IMHO Karajan had maintained a high performing standard across his repertoire, especially in Romantic music, even though his Classical/Baroque may not suit everybody's taste.


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

Strauss and Bruckner are standouts in his repertoire, also the Schubert Great and Unfinished from that label. Very few have done them better In my opinion. Avoid his Mahler while 80% of the forum will plea you to get the Live Mahler No.9 from 1982. I know little else. His first Brahms is likeable.

If I were you, I would get the box 6 (1973-1975) before box 7. It has the ASZ by Strauss, some core Bruckner symphonies, some Tchaikovsky and the legendary Webern Schoenberg recordings. Box 7 is another good choice.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Breaking up that set is dumb. There is enough Karajan out there in print in remastered sound for dirt cheap, the only reason to own that set is because it's everything all in one place. Just buy the stuff you want from Amazon and let someone get this set complete.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

bigshot said:


> Breaking up that set is dumb. There is enough Karajan out there in print in remastered sound for dirt cheap, the only reason to own that set is because it's everything all in one place. Just buy the stuff you want from Amazon and let someone get this set complete.


$2 a disc is pretty good. I bought the 1970s symphony cycle which included the Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Schumann, Bruckner, etc.. It was a real bargain at the time. I would certainly recommend any of them but especially the Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Bruckner if you have Beethoven.


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## radiodurans (Dec 8, 2018)

bigshot said:


> Breaking up that set is dumb. There is enough Karajan out there in print in remastered sound for dirt cheap, the only reason to own that set is because it's everything all in one place. Just buy the stuff you want from Amazon and let someone get this set complete.


I'm not the one selling it, it is his choice. It's already an incomplete set missing some bits.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Why not buy the Karajan Symphony edition? Yes you'll get another Beethoven cycle (his excellent 77 set), lovely Bruckner cycle, his very good Tchaikovsky and Haydn Paris symphonies, good Brahms and late Mozart symphonies, his half-decent Mendelssohn and very average Schumann (some like the Schumann more but not me) . Well worth it for the rest. I've seen it for a lot less than £40 brand new on Fleabay. There was one new copy on there for £30 last month and there's still one on there for £35 new, today. That's less than a Pound a disc. Cheap as chips.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Merl said:


> Why not buy the Karajan Symphony edition? Yes you'll get another Beethoven cycle (his excellent 77 set), lovely Bruckner cycle, his very good Tchaikovsky and Haydn Paris symphonies, good Brahms and late Mozart symphonies, his half-decent Mendelssohn and very average Schumann (some like the Schumann more but not me) . Well worth it for the rest. I've seen it for a lot less than £40 brand new on Fleabay. There was one new copy on there for £30 last month and there's still one on there for £35 new, today. That's less than a Pound a disc. Cheap as chips.


I agree. I just bought a copy of this for US$20 plus shipping.


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## radiodurans (Dec 8, 2018)

Merl said:


> Why not buy the Karajan Symphony edition?


So . . . Let's say I buy the Karajan Symphony Edition . . . there is nothing worth buying for $2 / CD in this set?


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Buy the music you like


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

radiodurans said:


> So . . . Let's say I buy the Karajan Symphony Edition . . . there is nothing worth buying for $2 / CD in this set?


There's plenty (see my post above).


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Plenty of great stuff from Karajan, I'm proud to own and have been able to listen to all of his recordings. Is it all the best you will ever hear, of course not, but I respect Karajan as an artist and for doing things his way, and it's always interesting for me to hear his interpretations whether I agree with them or not.


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