Beethoven Symphonies - best perf + sonics on CD

Goofyfoot, Steely is not a problem on the DG remasters based on what I have heard so far. At least not steely in a digital steely sense. I think you really have to buy this stricktly on artistic merit. That said, I'm sure the remastering helped some.

"This is no minueto!" That is very funny, Brownsfan. And thanks for your impression of the new Karajan.
I'm disappointed to hear that some of the muddiness is still there, but I'll be comparing it to the original 1963 CD release which sounds very muddy with some violins mixed in.
You know what I mean, there's a string section in the mix, but no separation.
Oh yeah, and I remembered the word to describe Karajan 1980s performances..."Passion." There is a lack of passion on Karajan's part.

Hey Lowrider,

look forward to your impressions of the Karajan '63 original CD vs the Remaster. I felt the Remasters were definitely better...no, not the best remaster/CD i have by some margin. Its not a MA Recordings or even an FIM remaster of an older recording...but it is markedly superior to the original CD which felt 'stereotypically' thin in comparison. one man's experience.

Update on the DG SACD 1963 Herbert von Karajan recordings. Tonight I listened to the Eroica. I was stunned. Just stunned, by how much better the recording quality was from the 1, 2, 7, & 8. Yes, there was still a little grunge here and there, but it was really good. Lower strings were not at all tubby or bloated. Horns were glorious. Violins were satisfactory. And this, my friends, is the best Eroica I have heard. I had forgotten how good this was in the 35 years since I last heard it.
Now I know why I loved HvK so much in my youth and wandered away as he aged. Stay tuned, perhaps tomorrow night I will do the 4th or the 5th.

Brownsfan, I didn't realize that these DG remasters were SACD hybrids. Just to recapitulate our earlier discussion; if DG allocates all of this time and money towards remastering the Von Karajan, then wouldn't one expect that they'd rival their Japanese competitors? In other words, after all of this, if I were to compare both side by side and find that the Japanese remasters were superior to the DG, then I would just have to shake my head and wonder.