Complete Brahms Edition

Somewhat of a mixed bag... - There are some excellent recordings in this set - but there are some rather mediocre too. The sound quality of some DG recordings from the 80ies leaves much to be desired. Especially in orchestral music, the sound can be congested and you can t hear details. To begin with, the symphonies, featuring Karajan and the Berliners, are recorded 1986-88, and it s not his best set (which likely would be his readings from 1978). The serenades and the Hungarian dances with Abbado, other the other hand, are excellent. It s a pity that DG chose the Pollini / Böhm team for the piano concertos, and not the classic account of Gilels / Jochums. The violin concerto with Mutter and the double concerto with Mutter / Meneses are fresh. The chamber music discs are good throughout, but I would rather prefer the complete set of Philips if I had to choose. The keyboard works are probably the most uneven of the whole collection. The songs, on the other hand, featuring Fischer-Dieskau and Jessye Norman, are recommendable, as are the vocal ensembles. There are better recordings today of the a cappella choral works. I refer to the excellent recordings of Chamber Choir of Europe on Brilliant Classics. The same goes for at last some of the works for chorus and orchestra, especially Ein deutsches Requiem, accounted here for by Giulini, which definitely is available in fresher versions. The documentation is excellent.

Excellent performances - Conducted by Herbert von Karajan, Bohm in the Orchestral Works volume together with the most famous performers over the world, Daniel Barenboim etc. in Chamber Works, you will simply found most of these recordings nearly perfect, if not all. If you enjoyed Schumann s Lieder you shouldn t miss his Lieder volume - his works resembled the style. Be reminded that even though many works was recorded in 1979 and 1982, of which some is ADD, this is still worthwhile. To conclude, simply, an outstanding box set.