This album by
Herbert von Karajan and the
Berlin Philharmonic represents this once widely accepted approach to Baroque and Classical music. The rich string sound of a large ensemble and the generally straightforward playing, without free ornamentation, original instruments, or improvised sections, puts this album in the conventional category that early music purists would avoid. However,
Karajan was not wholly against period practices, as his use of a harpsichord and cello continuo makes clear, and his textures in Vivaldi, Gluck, and Mozart are not inordinately thick or heavy. Furthermore,
Karajan takes the ubiquitous Pachelbel Canon uptempo and even follows through with its attached Gigue, a salutory nod to historically informed practice. But this is still far from a period style collection, so listeners are advised to sample it first before committing.