Paul MacKay disagrees with James Zehm about the quality of Beethoven's
Sixth, writing:

>I think the 6th is the only symphony that Karajan never got right.
>Actually, IMHO Drahos' version of the Pastoral symphony is quite a good
>one, certainly better than any of Karajan's.

I have Karajan's 1962 recording of the Sixth as part of a (LP) set of the
complete symphonies (with the BPO, naturally).  Not only can't I fault it,
but I think it's one of the very best performances ever recorded by anyone
(and I remember H.H. Stuckenschmidt, the leading German music critic of
the time, praising it highly--in the Neue Zeitung, I believe).  The set
also includes a Ninth not only featuring, but blessed by, the performances
of Gundula Janowitz, Hilde Roessl-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt, and Walter
Berry.  What a recording!

Denis Fodor                     Internet:[log in to unmask]