Karajan's 1975-1977 Beethoven Symphony Cycle coming to Blu-ray Audio...in Dolby Atmos

[McCrutchy]

Now THIS is weird.

It looks like Deutsche Grammophon will release Herbert von Karajan's Beethoven Symphonies (1975-1977) on Blu-ray Audio, with a Dolby Atmos remix:



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H62PFS4

Clearly, this will be a remix, and there is no indication yet of how many channels will be utilized, but the safe bet is that it could be Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core. Also, I don't believe Dolby has figured out how to go beyond 48/24 with Atmos, so high-resolution is not on the cards unless there is a secondary dedicated 5.1 or 2.0 mix.

Interestingly, this cycle was recently released on SHM-SACD in Japan from new 2018 DSD masters, so I assume that those are being converted and used here. A similar situation seems to be happening with Karl Böhm's 46 Mozart Symphonies, which were released as a Blu-ray Audio / CD set this past summer, and were just announced for release on SHM-SACD in December.

Herbert von Karajan was famously passionate about the developments in recording technology. He insisted that his recordings at the highest possible fidelity. DG presents the very first DOLBY ATMOS recording on the label. Dolby Atmos expands on 5.1 Surround Sound and produces the most realistic sound ever. This 1978 Grammy Winner for Best Orchestral Performance in Dolby Atmos expands on the current 2.0 and 5.1 set-ups and adds an overhead dimension. The sound moves all around you. As close to live as possible!

More information from the listing at Presto Classical:

Karajan’s legendary 1975-77 Beethoven Symphony Cycle, remastered for the first time in DOLBY ATMOS by Emil Berliner Studios allowing the most extraordinary realism ever heard outside of a ‘live’ performance.
• Two Blu-ray Audio discs presenting the complete cycle in three new remasterings:
• Dolby Atmos at 24bit/48kHz
• Stereo 2.0 at 24bit/192kHz
• Surround 5.1 at 24bit/192KHz
• Included are two rare interviews with Herbert von Karjan from the original 1970s vinyl box (both mono):
• Das Interview – Herbert von Karajan im Gespräch mit Joachim Kaiser
• Karajan in conversation – with Richard Osborne
• Digipack with 40pp booklet in English and German presenting the original liner notes from Richard Osborne, Franz Endler and Stefan Kunze and many rare pictures of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
• Grammy Award Winning Cycle: Winner of “Best Orchestral Performance” – 1978. Nominated for “Classical Album of the Year” – 1978.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Now THIS is weird.

It looks like Deutsche Grammophon will release Herbert von Karajan's Beethoven Symphonies (1975-1977) on Blu-ray Audio, with a Dolby Atmos remix:



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H62PFS4

Clearly, this will be a remix, and there is no indication yet of how many channels will be utilized, but the safe bet is that it could be Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core. Also, I don't believe Dolby has figured out how to go beyond 48/24 with Atmos, so high-resolution is not on the cards unless there is a secondary dedicated 5.1 or 2.0 mix.

Interestingly, this cycle was recently released on SHM-SACD in Japan from new 2018 DSD masters, so I assume that those are being converted and used here. A similar situation seems to be happening with Karl Böhm's 46 Mozart Symphonies, which were released as a Blu-ray Audio / CD set this past summer, and were just announced for release on SHM-SACD in December.



More information from the listing at Presto Classical:

Great Price. Wonder if they'll be discrete? I have so many Beethoven cycles and NO Atmos, as of yet, but this does sound enticing.

 

[Quad Linda]

Back in the day, I had an LP box of these. I rebought them as a CD box. IMHO, these performances come alive much more than the 80's recordings.

I'm not sure I'll buy these, since I already own the 70's and 80's boxes. I also have a Barenboim/Berliner Statscapelle DVD-A set.

 

[Soundfield]

Karajan recordings of Brahms, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, Schubert etc. symphonies were cornerstones of the EMI SQ quad catalogue back in the day - but where were was the Beethoven? Strangely under represented apart from the piano concertos and a couple of overtures.

 

[fredblue]

crikey.. sounds interesting! i'll be getting this for sure.
with the Atmos discs i'm slowly amassing i'm gonna need an Atmos system someday to do them justice.
oh and a bigger room to fit it all in!

 

[haikubass]

€30 @ Amazon France, release date 11/9

 

[fredblue]

€30 @ Amazon France, release date 11/9

November's gonna be an expensive month...

 

[Simon A]

€30 @ Amazon France, release date 11/9

Amazon.com has it for $44.94 with a release date of 11/16.

 

[Soundfield]

Of course if you wanted all the Beethoven symphonies in genuine, honest to goodness quad your only real option is the complete, and rather fine, Rudolf Kempe set on EMI. I’ve had mine since buying it new in the mid-seventies (at some astronomical price):

I wonder if this was the reason that there was never a competing set from Karajan (also an EMI artist)?

 

[kap'n krunch]

Of course if you wanted all the Beethoven symphonies in genuine, honest to goodness quad your only real option is the complete, and rather fine, Rudolf Kempe set on EMI. I’ve had mine since buying it new in the mid-seventies (at some astronomical price):

View attachment 36005

I wonder if this was the reason that there was never a competing set from Karajan (also an EMI artist)?

How is that , Quad wise?

I am very happy with my Berliner Philamoniker/ Simon Rattle BDs though..

 

[ubertrout]

Wow, interesting. The 9th from this cycle has been released as a surround SACD, generally assumed to be remixed from a quad source (and also was released as a pointless stereo BD-Audio). I'm guessing this is going to be a remix from the 8 or 16 track tape - this was a prestige project for DG and I'd suspect there's plenty of tracks to work with, but I'd be surprised if the mixing is terribly aggressive.

 

[H.A.L.]

I'm happy with the complete symphonies directed by Vanska (in 5.1):

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Symphonies-Ludwig-van/dp/B002QEXN6Q

 

[ubertrout]

Of course if you wanted all the Beethoven symphonies in genuine, honest to goodness quad your only real option is the complete, and rather fine, Rudolf Kempe set on EMI. I’ve had mine since buying it new in the mid-seventies (at some astronomical price):

View attachment 36005

I wonder if this was the reason that there was never a competing set from Karajan (also an EMI artist)?

Karajan recorded a Beethoven cycle for EMI in the early 50s, and I suspect didn't want to record another one with them so soon on the heels of his SG cycle from the early 60s.

While it didn't get a quad release at the time, this is also true quad:

Pentatone also released the quads of almost all of Kubelik's cycle for DG from the 70s, but never got to the 3rd before discontinuing their series.

Edit to add: Huh, it seems Masur's cycle has gone out of print. Also, the 2-SACD set of him and the Leipzig orchestra doing the overtures is also quite good.

 

[ubertrout]

I'm happy with the complete symphonies directed by Vanska (in 5.1):

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Symphonies-Ludwig-van/dp/B002QEXN6Q

If you're not a fanatic about classical music, that set is all you need.

 

[fredblue]

Karajan recorded a Beethoven cycle for EMI in the early 50s, and I suspect didn't want to record another one with them so soon on the heels of his SG cycle from the early 60s.

While it didn't get a quad release at the time, this is also true quad:

Pentatone also released the quads of almost all of Kubelik's cycle for DG from the 70s, but never got to the 3rd before discontinuing their series.

(sorry to go off piste but while I've got a number of QQ's resident Classical experts' attention all at once I shall strike while the iron's hot) is there a thread (or wishful thinking, a list) of which Pentatone RQR SACDs have active discrete mixes as opposed to hall/ambience type?
many T's in a.!

 

[4-earredwonder]

crikey.. sounds interesting! i'll be getting this for sure.
with the Atmos discs i'm slowly amassing i'm gonna need an Atmos system someday to do them justice.
oh and a bigger room to fit it all in!

At which time you'll be deemed a genuine nuisance to the general population and carted off to the Tower of London with protestations from the citizenry chanting: "Cut Off His EARS!"

And last we heard, Freddie Buck [his new alias] with his small Terrier Frodo are off to see the Wizard of Watford in the hopes of being granted a new set of magical prosthetic ears!

 

[fredblue]

At which time you'll be deemed a genuine nuisance to the general population and carted off to the Tower of London with protestations from the citizens "Cut Off His EARS!"

hear, hear! orf with Fred's head!

(well if Snood can post in the 3rd person... )

 

[4-earredwonder]

hear, hear! orf with Fred's head!

(well if Snood can post in the 3rd person... )

But ahem, Adam, Snoodsville isn't BIG enough for the both of you!

 

[fredblue]

But ahem, Adam, Snoodsville isn't BIG enough for the both of you!

oh well, back to the 1st person it is then...

 

[ubertrout]

(sorry to go off piste but while I've got a number of QQ's resident Classical experts' attention all at once I shall strike while the iron's hot) is there a thread (or wishful thinking, a list) of which Pentatone RQR SACDs have active discrete mixes as opposed to hall/ambience type?
many T's in a.!

There was some discussion here, and seems the logical place to discuss: https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...nded-classical-music-in-surround-sound.20662/