Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Don Juan - Berliner Philharmoniker, Karajan

Richard Strauss
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Don Juan
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan
Deutsche Grammophon CD (out of print)

Today Mr. 7.000.000.000 should be born. I think Zarathustra could be a nice birthday present for Mr. 7 billion (or mister 7KKK). And maybe some contemporary Don Juan has also played a small-not-completely-irrelevant role in all this...so....: a classic, if there ever was one.
Nowadays it has almost become fashionable to dismiss Karajan, af if he was more a marketing/commercial phenomenon rather than a great conductor. Not that fashion should ever be taken too seriously, but a recording of this stature should suffice to shed any doubts.

Strauss: Metamorphosen, Tod und Verklaerung - Berliner Philharmoniker, Karajan

Richard Strauss
Metamorphosen, Tod und Verklaerung
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Deutsche Grammophon- 410 892-2

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Metamorphosen is, to me, Strauss's greatest orchestral masterpiece. A requiem to western civilization and to western music. The end of an entire world. No review for this one but, if you decide to trust me only once, do it this time.