About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Long story short, if you're only ever going to get one set of all Mozart's numbered symphonies, this set made by Karl Böhm and the Berlin Philharmonic for Deutsche Grammophon is the one. Why? Because it has everything one could possibly want in a Mozart cycle. It has the heights of "No. 41" and the depths of "No. 39," the lights of "No. 38" and the darks of "No. 40," the wit of "No. 32" and the warmth of "No. 35," the whimsy of "No. 25" and the wisdom of "No. 36." With a clean baton technique, an objective interpretive stance, and an unwavering dedication to the letter, as well as the spirit of the music, the Austrian Böhm was the preeminent Mozart conductor of his time. With a precision, clarity, and effortlessness ideally matched to Mozart's transparent scoring, the German Berlin Philharmonic was then as it remains today the world's most virtuosic orchestras. Recorded between 1959 and 1969, Deutsche Grammophon's sound was, as it remains today, a model of honesty, integrity, and immediacy. While there are certainly other worthy Mozart cycles -- Marriner's elegant account with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields springs immediately to mind -- Böhm and the Berlin's remains ultimately unbeatable. James Leonard, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

• Listener Rating: