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"... this 1963 set remains the most highly rated, and with reason. Lustrous Berlin Phil playing, plus Karajan's visionary grandeur." - Classic FM "By general acclamation this 1963 production ranks as the finest of Karajan’s four complete cycles ... these performances have withstood the test of time ... there’s no denying this set’s excellence." - ClassicsToday.com "What so enthused us was the urgency of the music-making, its vitality and, ultimately, a fierce sense of joy that had its natural point of culmination in a thrillingly played and eloquently sung account of the finale of the Ninth. The playing of the BPO dazzled throughout, as did (the) recordings: clean and clear, and daringly 'lit' with a bright shimmer of reverberation." - Gramophone Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker on this highly-acclaimed marathon recording of all nine Beethoven symphonies, originally released in 1963. Von Karajan recorded the entire cycle of Beethoven's symphonies four times during his career; this recording ranks as the finest by many critics and fans. Never before had all nine Beethoven's symphonies been recorded and released as an integrally planned subscription set. The financial risk was substantial, and it was estimated that record label Deutsche Grammophon would have to sell 100,000 boxes just to break even. Within 10 years, however, the package went on to sell over a million copies. This set has been newly remastered at 24-bit/96 kHz for its 2014 re-release.