Herbert von Karajan conducts Beethoven's Symphony No. 8

Premiered in Vienna in 1814, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 is colored by a remarkably joyful atmosphere. Could it have been related to the composer’s recent cure in Teplice (near Prague), where he had become friends with a certain German singer? Composed during the summer just after his Seventh Symphony, the Eighth’s first performance was met with a lukewarm reception. Maestro Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker come together here for a masterful performance.