Herbert von Karajan - Schonenberg: Berg, Weber

"A completely new recording technique was used in these sessions, one which can also be applied for quadrophony. In our recording it was possible to realize Schoenberg's ideas and intentions, which are clearly indicated in the scores, in a way that would never be possible in the concert hall. Acoustically excellent halls do exist, of course, but Schoenberg's demands simply are abnormally high. They can only be met with a recording technique which matches them. In terms of sound, the recordings of the Schoenberg works enthralled me most. I had imagined a kind of sound which could never be achieved in concert halls. Only since we made the recordings have I known that it can exist, not only in the imagination but also in acoustical reality. It merely requires a complex system of mixing." - Herbert von Karajan