Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 / Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10

by Herbert von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic

This historic reissue pairs two seminal works of the classical music repertory. Beethoven's fifth symphony is perhaps one of the most-played - and most recognizable - works written by any composer. Shostakovich ranks among the finest composers of the twentieth century. His powerful tenth symphony depicts the despair and terror of the Stalin years in Russia. Famed conductor Herbert von Karajan's close association with these works makes for an ideal program. Critics consider his recordings of both composers to be among the finest available.