Favourite Karl Böhm recordings

[Karafan]

I saw Böhm only twice but had the great good fortune to meet him after the first of those two LSO concerts (December 19 1978. If anyone has a recording of that concert would be delighted to hear from you). The second and final occasion was in June 1980.

Some of my favourites have already been mentioned but most surprised that no-one has mentioned the Strauss Four Last Songs with Lisa della Casa and the VPO in 1953.

Others:

Bruckner 4 VPO
Bruckner 8 Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra
Bruckner 7 VPO (live 1976 Salzburg performance on the Andante label) the best performance I've heard.
Strauss Tod und Verklärung LSO (live 1973 Salzburg, also Andante) a truly stunning performance that is said to have reduced hard bitten LSO members to tears).
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante BPO (as mentioned by JFLL, a lovely recording)
Mozart Piano Concertos 19 & 23 VPO/Pollini
Schubert Symphony No 9 Dresden Staatskapelle (live 1979)
Wagner Act 3 of Die Meistersinger recorded in Dresden 1938.
Beethoven 6 VPO
Mozart Symphony No 33 VPO (live at Salzburg 1966)
Schoenberg Pelleas und Melisande VPO (live in Vienna 1969)
Wagner Ring 1966/7 Bayreuth
Wagner Tristan und Isolde 1966 Bayreuth, not the DG recording but a single stunning live performance on the Frequenz label. Mind blowing.

That'll be enough for now, others will no doubt come to mind.

. Is that 1973 Strauss T&V available? Is there a link please?

[makropulos]

. Is that 1973 Strauss T&V available? Is there a link please?

Just about. It's in this set:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Symphony-Orchestra-Salzburg-Festival/dp/B000066TXN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423343459&sr=8-1&keywords=bohm+London+Symphony+Andante

[Karafan]

Yikes! Thanks

[Petrushka]

Just about. It's in this set:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Symph...mphony+Andante

Yes, that's the one. Not overly expensive all things considered. There's a little intrusive audience noise at the beginning but they soon settle down when they realise something special is taking place.

Another recording on my list that I would draw attention to is the 1938 Dresden recording of Act 3 of Die Meistersinger. Apparently, this was supposed to have been a complete set (how many 78's one wonders?) but the remainder was never recorded due to wartime restrictions. A pity because the Act 3 as recorded is a wonderful historic document and the sound is fine in the Profil transfer.

[gurnemanz]

Favourites already mentioned - Ring, Così, Vier letzte Lieder with Lisa della Casa. I've just listening to his marvellous Bruckner 3 with VPO, prior to RFH with Andris Nelsons tomorrow evening.
Böhm joins up impressively with Emil Gilels and his daughter Elena in this Mozart disc.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Re the Bohm VPO Beethoven symphony cycle, I have the LP set and fond them to be a mixed bag. Excellent 3, 6 & 9, but one of the most run-of-the-mill 5ths I've ever heard. The recorded sound doesn't help, being rather opaque throughout.

But perhaps my favourite Bohm recording is his DG Missa Solemnis.

[makropulos]

Re the Bohm VPO Beethoven symphony cycle, I have the LP set and fond them to be a mixed bag. Excellent 3, 6 & 9, but one of the most run-of-the-mill 5ths I've ever heard. The recorded sound doesn't help, being rather opaque throughout.

But perhaps my favourite Bohm recording is his DG Missa Solemnis.

The sound is much improved in the CD version of the symphony cycle - at least in its latest incarnation and as well as the ones you single out, No. 4 is particularly good, I think. But I tend to agree about No. 5.

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/DG/4791949

Which DG Missa Solemnis, though? I've just ordered the earlier Berlin recording with Maria Stader et al on DG Originals (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Missa-Solemn...3351580&sr=8-2).

The one I know is the later Vienna one with Margaret Price etc. which I like very much.

[Barbirollians]

I was fond of the VPO/Bohm Mozart - much loved DG Accolade LP of symphonies 32,35 &36 was one of my very first classical records

[makropulos]

I was fond of the VPO/Bohm Mozart - much loved DG Accolade LP of symphonies 32,35 &36 was one of my very first classical records

The VPO Mozart recordings (later symphonies and wind concertos) are ones I like enormously too (and prefer them to the earlier BPO complete set of the symphonies).
From several decades earlier, there's an exciting "Jupiter" with the VPO from 1943 on Orfeo (C376941B), a disc that is of considerable interest for other reasons as it also contains what I think may be Böhm's only recording of Strauss's Horn Concerto No. 2 made in 1944 with Gottfried von Freiberg as the soloist (Freiberg and Böhm gave the premiere in August 1943 and this recording dates from the following year).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The VPO Mozart recordings (later symphonies and wind concertos) are ones I like enormously too (and prefer them to the earlier BPO complete set of the symphonies).

[HighlandDougie]

Ditto to Makropoulos's comments on the Vienna Mozart but surprised that no-one has mentioned

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Berg-Wozzeck-Lulu-Alban/dp/B00000E53D/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1423393157&sr=1-1&keywords=berg+wozzeck+bohm

from which recordings I got to know the music - and to which I return from time to time.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Ditto to Makropoulos's comments on the Vienna Mozart but surprised that no-one has mentioned

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Berg-Wozzeck-Lulu-Alban/dp/B00000E53D/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1423393157&sr=1-1&keywords=berg+wozzeck+bohm

from which recordings I got to know the music - and to which I return from time to time.

BeefO mentioned the Wozzeck in #2, Dougie - and the box you link to I would certainly include in my general reference to Böhm's "opera recordings" in #9.

[Petrushka]

I bought the Böhm Wozzeck on LP about 35 years ago but for some reason never got the CD issue. The exorbitant price would now seem to rule it out at least until re-issue.

[HighlandDougie]

BeefO mentioned the Wozzeck in #2, Dougie - and the box you link to I would certainly include in my general reference to Böhm's "opera recordings" in #9.

Oops! My apologies to Captain Mannering.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I wondered who'd be the first to spot that.