Great Performance, Mediocre Sound Engineering
586528
This is rated 5 for performance, 3 for sound.

All in all, this is a terrfic interpretation of the Mahler 1st, lushly and thrillingly played by the LA Phil, which is long overdue its deserved recognition.

However, DG seems intent on bringing us Maestro Dudamel largely through the medium of recorded live performances.  While that does cut the budget nicely, it can result in less than ideal quality of sound, which is the case here. On the positive side, the engineers turn up the volume during the quiet and slow sections, letting us hear details that are missing in typical symphonic recordings.  And the excessive reverberation provides a wonderfully warm patina over the entire performance.

On the negative side, the reverb is way overdone. Brasses have an "otherwordly" sound to them like something out of Hearts of Space. Lower frequencies are reproduced not as the musical sound of drums and bass fiddles, but as some sort of generic rumble,like the sound of a passing subway train or railroad car.

Much of the excitement that Maestro Dudamel is so clearly trying to establish is blunted by the tendency of the engineers to turn the volume way down during the louder and faster sections, particularly at the end of the first movement.  In the video we see the conductor clearly signal "forte" (louder) and we see the musicians digging in.  However, the sound on the recording actually gets quieter at that point. It is hoped that DG will provide better sound quality for the remaining recordings in Maestro Dudamel's Mahler cycle.

If you are a Dudamel fan, this DVD provides a solid momento of an auspicious occassion. However, it does not replace Bernstein (Sony) or Walter (Sony) or Leinsdorf (London Phase 4 LP) as my favorite recordings of Mahler's magnificent symphony.
4672598
Good performance. Audio is fair, but the balance between soloist and orchestra leaves a little to be desired.
808193
It's great entertainment and it's ability to play music on demand is wonderful.
What I like the least is the mediocre sound quality.
4486264
Highly acclaimed performances by great artists of the past. The sound reproduction is not the best, limited dynamic range i
1311696
These performances are great, as other reviewers have noted, but not so the recording.  I may have a defective copy of this set, because the fifth symphony in particular sounds terribly distorted at times.  I have high-end equipment, and I listened to it on both headphones and speakers, and tried two different CD players.  The strings especially sound bad, like the recording equipment was overdriven.  Anyway just a heads up for perspective buyers.
3419617
Being a sound quality snob, and with recording equipment getting better every year, I figured that this surround SACD recorded digitally in 2011 would be one of the best sounding versions of The Planets available(that is still in print and thous does not cost $50+).  The sound quality of this disc is very good as I expected, but there are two things that keep this from being the ultimate Planets recording that I desire.
First is the positioning of the microphones and mixing.  I prefer classical recordings where I feel like I am sitting in the middle of the orchestra, but this recording makes me feel more like I am sitting about 15 rows back from of the front of the orchestra.  Everything feels a bit distant, but it does help the overall presence of the performance if I turn the volume up quite loud.
Second, I feel that many of the movements are played at tempos that are too fast, especially Saturn, which is much faster than the tempo I prefer.
Besides those two issues, I would recommend this disc, at least until a possibly better recording is released by some other orchestra in the future.
3809372
Artistically, it's great. Wonderful performance. Unfortunately somewhere either in the recording, or mastering, is introduced piercing distortion. It's still my preferred recording (there aren't so many of The Bells to choose from), but by no means perfect.
4073492
A quick word about the Blu-ray audio quality on offer here. In a word, it sounds much better than the Naxos CD. It is less brash, certainly more refined, atmospheric and spacious than the CD.

Naxos offers it in DTS surround sound and 2-channel PCM. The above comments apply to the latter. The surround format is even more spacious and lovely, as to be expected. But make no mistake, even in stereo PCM, this Blu-ray is much improved over the CD.

I found the performances somewhat disappointing when originally listening to the CD. This Blu-ray does nothing to improve that observation. These readings sound like, well, readings rather than performances. They remain just a touch too careful and buttoned-down - especially when compared to the likes of Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Fiedler in this repertoire. Worse, they frankly are not all that well played. The Blu-ray reveals even more glaringly than does the CD some less than stellar playing and unity of ensemble here and there. One might think this could add a sense of spontaneity; but rather, it instead tends to sound like they're sight-reading.
2685040
This is a good performance and great recording. But since it's billed as an audiophile recording I can't give it 5 stars because it has too much dynamic compression. It detracts from the emotion & realism when the organ & orchestra kick in and it's only 12 dB louder than the English horn solo. This is quite surprising. I have several Reference Recordings and this is the only one that uses so much compression.
On the positive side, the recording is quite clear, full spectrum with organ bass at full level down to 20 Hz yet without sounding bloated or overloaded, and the dynamic compression makes it easier to listen to on a cheap stereo or in the car. Johnson did a great job of capturing the sound in a well balanced way, soooo disappointing that so much dynamic compression was used. It's not necessary!

All that said, my favorite version of this piece is the Classic records 200 gram vinyl reissue of the RCA Victor conducted by Munch, LSC2341. It has better sonics and performance.
4420284
The performances are very good -- propulsive and exciting.

The sound is excellent, albeit slightly sterile, sounding almost as if it were recorded in a studio.

The video is poor, the worst I've encountered in a symphonic performance Blu-ray. A diffusion filter appears to have been used, and it softens the image, reduces detail and adds an unfortunate bloom to the whites.

Worse yet, the direction, camerawork and editing are awful. There are a lot of frequent cuts and overlapping images. At times, a freeze frame is used -- a very gimmicky effect that pulls you right out of the moment and makes you aware of the director. It made me appreciate even more the crystal-clear, well-directed EuroArts Blu-rays, which successfully convey a "you are there" quality that adds greatly to the excitement.

This was a lost opportunity.
1372574
I love the frenetic energy of these recordings. They don't sound "lush" and ponderous. I'm very happy with the set and will listen to them for many years.

In the last movement of the Seventh I imagine the musicians gasping for breath and falling to the floor at the end.

For the Ninth though, I'd like it to be slower with better audio. Majestic and inspiring, so perhaps a bit of "lush".
Any recommendations?
4578090
i just listened to this and compared it to the ozawa recording with the berliner philharmonic.  ozawa brings out clear melodic voices, chamber-like in their interaction.  gergiev suppresses the individual melodies in different sections of the orchestra to produce a muted, blended sound that lost all sparkle for me.  it sounded gray.

edit:  could have been the sound engineer who mushed the sound, but the perpetrator makes little difference.  i'd rather hear the voices within the music than just hear a melange of sound.
806821
This is a great show, great and interesting DVD..beautiful setting for the concert.  The audio is good but expect only sound from the front and center speakers.  You won't hear much from the surround speakers at all (not even the audience' applause at the end of each song...).  I don't know who did the surround sound mixing but it is pretty bad if you compare it to other DVD concerts with DTS 5.1 surround options (check Peter Gabriels DVDs, Elton John's recent Box Set and even Rolling Stones latest DVD set) and you will see what I am talking about.

Don't get me wrong...the sound is acceptable but don't expect a fully 5.1 surround mix nor in Dolby Digital nor in DTS.
883945
This is the most exquisite version of "Messiah" I have heard to date.  Although I am not a professional musician, I have a good ear and these artists are simply flawless!  I particularly appreciate the occasional personal flourish at the end of some arias--a tiny bit of artistic license that still respects the glorious work of Handel.  My only complaint relates to the production side of this CD set:  the overture and all solos are so quiet, I have to crank up the volume, yet when any chorus begins, the sound is nearly deafening.  This peculiar lack of balance is truly disappointing, but something I can live with for the stellar quality of the music.
964414
There are a few good long-winded reviews here so I'll keep this short.  The remastering of this live performance is very good indeed; I don't think anyone would be entirely dissatisfied with the sound quality.  And as one reviewer pointed out, there is a great deal of "banter" and clapping and general commentary from Neil Young; so if you're looking strictly for a music CD--this probably isn't it.  However, it is pretty cool to hear Neil state just before playing "Old Man" that he will be playing a "new" song.  Lastly, if you were hoping for a hard plastic CD case, forget it, mine came in a piece of cardboard.  Btw, I gave it 4-stars because of all the clapping, etc.  If they would have done away with that I would definitely given it 5-stars.
2223980
The performances of the three works are among the best I have heard. The sound quality of the Concerto and the Dance Suite is outstanding, but the last movement of MUSP&C is marred by distortion. I'm giving the disc 5 stars despite this flaw. Unfortunately, the same recording of MUSP&C is included in other London/Decca compilations.
4599379
It's like listening to the 78 rpm records on a cheap mid-20th century player - in fact it takes me right back. As a result excellent string players sound tinny, there is relatively little separation in the orchestral layers and somehow at times the ensemble, both choral and orchestral, sounds ragged, even cacophonous. I doubt this performance was actually ragged; I think it is just an effect of the old, poorer recording. Instead of the ambiance sounding spacious as it should in a hall with good acoustics, the sound is muffled, closed in.

I figure this must be a revival of the old 1950 studio recording.

The overture starts right out at breakneck speed - how do they move their bows that fast?! The solo voices are to die for. The musicians' intonation is right on. The superb musical direction is obviously that of the legendary von Karajan. And Mozart - the genius of Mozart! For people who value historic performance, this will doubtless have value, most particularly for those who want to study or just enjoy the vocal performances of Erich Kunz, Irmgard Seefried and Elisabeth Schwartzkopf. It happens that those do not suffer much in the recording process. But if you enjoy and are used to the sonic results of today's superior recording techniques, you may find, overall, listening to this offering a bit trying... although I find the mind does get used to it remarkably quickly.