Germany has made many cultural contributions. Perhaps the greatest was Ludwig van Beethoven. The revolutionary from Bonn threw the doors open from the Classical era into the Romantic era. He did this almost singlehandedly with his "Ninth Symphony." Since its premiere in May 7, 1824, the "Ninth Symphony" has served as the soundtrack for military regimes and as a celebration of freedom. It is more event than performance, something to be seen as well as heard.

Recently made available are two history performances of Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony," recorded 30 years apart. The first is the 1977 New Year's Eve Performance by the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Herbert von Karajan. This was the same years Karajan recorded the second of his three cycles. This performance is notable for being released as part of the Karajan Centenary celebrating the conductor's 100th birthday, April 5, 2008.

The second DVD release showcasing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony has the work as part of a concert in honor of Pope Benedict XVI. This is documentation of a papal concert held in the Paul VI Performance Hall at the Vatican October 27, 2007. The concert was presented by the Bavarian Radio Choir and Orchestra conducted by Mariss Jansons. Both DVDs show that Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" is as much an event to be experienced as a piece of music heard.

Ludwig van Beethoven - Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan (EuroArts, 2008)

Audio and video technologies have evolved at light speed since the late 1970s when this concert was captured. In spite of this evolution (or because of it) this video cleaned up nicely. The picture is analog-to-digital sharp and the sound is close and powerful. Add to this a performance by the foremost orchestra in the world, The Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by the most famous living conductor, Herbert von Karajan, and this release seamlessly glides into the essential category.

Herbert von Karajan (1908 – 1989) conducted the Berlin Philharmonic for 35 years, succeeding the equally famous Wilhelm Furtwängler in 1955 where he was named artistic director for life. Karajan (along with American Leonard Bernstein) looked like the proper conductor: lithe, virile, shock of magnificent grey hair flying as he conducted in his overtly callisthenic style.

It is obvious the maestro took seriously his conducting when driving the "Ninth Symphony" bus. There is a certain star-alignment that occurs when a German Orchestra performs the greatest piece of music by a German composer and the performance is directed by a conductor with that shared experience. That alignment exists in this video performance from New Year's Eve, 1977.

The symphony performance can best be described as a controlled hurricane, executed with Teutonic precision. Karajan physically drives the orchestra in the performance, which is crisp and sharp. The sonics are captured and reproduced in such a way that the listener feels as if he or she is among the instruments. The opening tremolo in the first movement is so well defined that the listener can readily hear the un poco maestoso that accompanies the Allegro ma non troppo marking.