Beethoven Symphonies - best perf + sonics on CD

Learsfool, I apologize but I made an error, I meant to say the Vienna State Opera Chorus. I have the Josef Krips, Don Giovanni on vinyl. It's an 8 sided London mono box set which was given to me. I just wish that I had a better mono cartridge since all of the vinyl that I own is in mono. The other complete Don Giovanni that I have is the Glyndebourne Festival Opera Company with Fritz Busch as conductor on RCA Victor but admittedly its condition is somewhat sketchy so it sits in the misfit bin. I would certainly recommend the Josef Krips recording. I have a Rene Jacobs Le Nozze di Figaro on Harmonia Mundi which is a period performance and I would way recommend that also.

Hi Goofyfoot - I used to have a copy of that Glyndebourne one, but I didn't care for it as much as those others I mentioned, so I sold it. Haven't heard the Rene Jacobs. For the period instrument Mozart, I really like Gardiner, though I think I only have a copy of his Magic Flute, not any of the other operas.

Learsfool,
the Rene Jacobs operas are excellent and they feature the Concerto Köln in cooperation with WDR 3. There is also a 'Saul' by Georg Friedrich Haedel and it's superb. The Don Giovanni is with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and it's also available on Blue Ray or DVD. If my memory doesn't fail me, they were all recorded live for radio broadcast.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp?name_id1=8429&name_role1=1&name_id2=13576&name_role2=3&bcorder=31

Honestly, I couldn't give you a higher recommendation from my collection than the Rene Jacobs recordings.They may not be to everyones taste but the quality of these discs are irrefutable. As for the Krips Don Giovanni, it's of course a classic. I don't own the Decca CD,

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=213511

I've not heard the Gardiner but his Figaro DVD looks enticing.

Lowrider, Goofyfoot, and all interested in the remastered 63 von Karajan set.
It arrived today, and I started off with the 7th and 8th, both of which I owned and loved on vinyl, then went to the 1st and 2nd. In terms of the sound, it is well, a bit of a mixed bag. You get the nice ambience of the Jesus Christus Kirche, and the upper strings are fairly sweet. The lower strings tend to be a bit muddy at times, and the tympani lacks the sharp attack and proper decay for which one might hope. You will not be fooled into thinking this is a 2013 Linn release.
BUT---its HvK in his prime. The 7th and 8th are even better than I had remembered. His approach on the 1st is a little to much Haydn and too little LvB for my taste, but still worthwhile. I remember Lennie Bernstein's remark "This is no minueto!" and I think he was dead right.
Back in the day I owned the LvB 3rd, 5th, 6 th, 7th, 8th and 9th from the 63 HvK cycle. This may be enough of a teaser to get me to try one of the Japanese remasters.

Back to Beethoven - I am about halfway through watching those DVDs I mentioned of Claudio Abbado conducting the Berlin Phil in Rome in 2001. Unbelievable performances - if you have never heard them, you owe it to yourself to do so. Beethoven as it should be played.