Customer Rating: 
Summary: No One Understands and Loves Schubert More!
Comment: Ideal, Inspired, Passionate, Dramatic, Lyrical, Beautiful, Intense...PERFECT!
To me, you need only 1 Schubert cycle for your collection and it is the Bohm! I haven't come accross anyone else who understands and loves Schubert more than Karl Bohm!
Bohm is a Master and his Schubert set will always remain at classic status!
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Böhm, the Anti-Beecham Schubertian
Comment: All of Schubert's eight symphonies, except for No. 8 "The Unfinished" and No. 9 "The Great C Major" (there is no No. 7 -- don't ask!), are usually considered lesser fare in his body of work and are often performed with a lighter touch. Conductor Böhm and the Berliners do make the major key symphonies jaunty, but also add some rhythmic punch along with deliberate foursquare tempi and a keen sense of musical architecture to give them the heft they need to sound substantial. The performances of No. 5 and No. 6 are the antithesis of the sprightly and rightly famous '50s-era recordings by Sir Thomas Beecham and are perhaps not as exemplary, but I've always found them so musically immaculate that I have no problem listening to them on a whim.
The recordings in this economical boxset are from 1963, '66, and '73. For the most part, they sound fine with plenty of bass and dynamic presence. Only occasionally does one hear some harshness on tuttis and fortissimos; certainly nothing to take away from the amicable, yet patrician performances.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Overall- A very good value
Comment: There is no way for me to make my review short and sweet, so instead I will point out EVERYTHING I can about these CD's, and then you can decide if this product is right for you. I have always been a big fan of Mozart and Beethoven, and only recently have learned to appreciate the genius of Schubert. I have listened to over four versions of the 4th, 8th, and 9th symphonies, and I would put these versions somewhere in the middle of the pack. In my opinion they are better that The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields's version (Which is TOO FAST) but not as good as Claudio Abbado and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Abbado's versions are BEAUTIFUL recordings, but that set costs over $150. Let's face it, you get what you pay for. (FYI -I have never heard Muti's versions). Now, as far as the actual fidelity/ sound quality of the recordings, they are just a notch below the rest. I did notice this when I played several versions back-to-back with this one. (Once again- you get what you pay for). If you are a casual listener of classical music, or you are looking for an economical way to get exposure to all of Schubert's symphonies, then this is probably the right set for you. (How can you beat the price ??) If you are a real die- hard classical listener, I want to point out one other thing: These versions do not repeat the exposition in the first movements. They play it once and then go right to the development section. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about- ignore this- never mind, and think about the other things that I said. I hope that I have been helpful. I will finish by saying that I'm amazed by the genius of Schubert and his music, and I encourage anyone who loves classical music to listen to these symphonies (esp 4,8, and 9) regardless of which version you buy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Schubert from Bohm and the Berlin Philharmonic
Comment: Karl Bohm's recordings of the Schubert Symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic were made in 1963 (Symphonies 8 and 9), 1966 (Symphonies 5 and 6), and 1972 (Symphonies 1,2,3, and 4) and still stand up well today.
Bohm has a superb command of each symphony's architecture, and DG's recorded sound in all one could ask for: much better than Karajan's 1980s Berlin recordings for DG.
I believe Bohm's Schubert recordings are better than the more recent DG's of Abbado/Chamber Orchestra of Europe, which strike me as rather light and chamber like by comparison. Since I like big orchestra Schubert, I prefer Bohm.
Karl Bohm lived 1894-1981, and began making recordings with the Dresden State Orchestra in 1934. I highly recommend Bohm's Schubert cycle, and also his Mozart Symphonies (DG, also with the Berlin Philharmonic) and Beethoven Symphonies (DG, 1970-72, in three different Doubles releases, with the Vienna Philharmonic), essential to any collection of great music.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Average Sound Quality but Great Packaging and Great Value for Money!!
Comment: You'd be hard pressed to find a better performance of all Schubert's 8 Symphonies than the ones in this very well designed and packaged box set by Karl Bohm and the Berlin Philharmonic. The only knock on this collection is that the sound quality, although listed at ADD standard isn't the best. This can be attributed to the analog master and the age of the recordings but I have heard worse like disc 2 of the similar Mendelssohn package. Still, this is overall a worthwhile package to get for all Schubert fans. Recommended.
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