Warner has begun actively reissuing Karajan’s EMI recordings using new transfers—I can’t bring myself to call them "remasters"—specifically commissioned from the French studio Circe. They are transferring the master tapes to 24-bit/192 kHz PCM and releasing them on stereo SACD. So far, I’ve only had a chance to listen to the Seventh.

Karajan’s 1970 reading of the Seventh is impressive (this was my first time hearing this recording); the first two movements unfold horizontally (reminiscent of Celibidache), tempos are slightly slowed, with broad phrasing: a static quality with fluid shimmerings, the climaxes are vertical and "cathedral-like" (as they should be). The strings are delicate—simply incomparable—while the full power of the Berlin orchestra is unleashed in the brass climaxes; Karajan never shied away from displaying sheer might. The spiraling climax in the Adagio is mesmerizing—hypnotic, as it ought to be. In the Scherzo, I found the shift in paradigm and the sense of "lightness" (or rather, a lightening of the sound) lacking; the Finale is straightforward and insufficiently illuminated in the coda. I preferred this interpretation to Karajan’s very last recording (which was deliberately ostentatious) with the Vienna Philharmonic in the late 1980s. I have not heard his late-1970s DG recording of the Seventh. I noted that Karajan elicits a much darker and heavier sound from Bruckner than from Wagner (comparing this to his late-1960s DG Ring Cycle recording).


As for the sound: first, there is absolutely no tape hiss—either no noise reduction was used, or—if it was—they finally learned to do so without compromising dynamics or, especially, high frequencies; the background is pitch-black, and the dynamics are extraordinary. The violins are something else entirely—a darkness pierced by shimmering silver light; you can hear the subtlest tremolos, every note is perfectly placed, unisons soar boundlessly, and the texture is like silk. Volcanic outbursts of heavy brass wash over you like the touch of red velvet. Double basses and percussion are richly textured and substantial. The soundstage perspective is that of the rear stalls or even the center balcony—a panoramic view. There are no compromises or sense of "fatigue" regarding dynamics or spaciousness, and the tonal balance is warm. Without knowing the recording date, you would never guess you were listening to a 1970 recording; it could have been made yesterday—and even today, recordings rarely sound this impressive.

Before listening to this recording, I wasn't familiar with how EMI recorded Karajan specifically in Berlin (though I do own his EMI recordings in Dresden and Vienna); judging by the Seventh, I really liked EMI approach—I had never heard Karajan presented with this kind of sound.

I wanted to make a direct comparison with DG, so I chose a recording from the same period (1970/71) made in the same hall, released on SHM-SACD (also a master-tape transfer, but in DSD format and produced by the German team at Emil Berliner Studios): Ballet Music from the Operas - Karajan. Of course, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, and Verdi sound nothing like Bruckner—so such a comparison isn't entirely fair—but I tried to compare the technical aspects: the DG soundstage is rather flat and linear (extending straight back), offering a perspective like that of the front rows of the stalls; there is a lack of air, though instrumental positioning is easy to discern. Overall, the sound is much brighter, more transparent, colder, and lighter in weight. The violins suffer the most, taking on a rather unpleasant, piercing, and strident tone. I prefer the Karajan recordings on EMI; it is a pity that his discography is so heavily weighted toward DG.