Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, Schubert: Symphony No. 5 / Böhm, Vienna Philharmonic Orch.

For many music lovers, this is the most purely beautiful performance of Beethoven's most purely beautiful symphony ever recorded. The playing of the Vienna Philharmonic is the last word in gorgeousness--the woodwind chords chime with such purity that they practically glow with an inner light. But it's not a self-indulgent interpretation at all: the storm rages as violently as anyone has a right to expect, and Karl Böhm keeps the music moving along impulsively, always highlighting the symphonic strength of Beethoven's musical argument. What makes the recording even more special is a Schubert Fifth with exactly the same qualities. Someone at DG clearly knows where the treasures are buried. A great disc. --David Hurwitz