There is hardly anyone more suitable than Herbert von Karajan, the "King of Classics" as Yehudi Menuhin called him, and the most successful and influential conductor of the 20th century, to celebrate the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven’s nine symphonies, which hold a very special place among the masterpieces of music history, were at the centre of Karajan's repertoire. No one else has recorded the complete cycle of the nine Beethoven symphonies as often as he has. The recording of the nine Beethoven symphonies with the Berliner Philharmoniker at the beginning of the 1960s is considered unequaled and one of the most ambitious and commercially successful projects in record history. The first cycle of recordings was made ten years earlier in collaboration with producer Walter Legge. Legge, one of the most influential figures on the European music scene, had built an exquisite ensemble with his Philharmonia Orchestra, which he founded especially for work in the studio under the direction of Karajan. Another of the legendary joint productions that were made in the 1950s is the recording of the Missa solemnis from 1958, which is undisputedly one of the reference recordings of this important work. The piano concertos and the Violin Concerto are also included in this series of milestones. Another devoted Beethoven interpreter was the exceptional Canadian pianist Glenn Gould. His recording of the Third Piano Concerto under Karajan caused a sensation in musical circles and is regarded as a treasure. Further important soloists in this selection of milestones of the Beethoven repertoire under the baton of Karajan are pianist Walter Gieseking, violinist Wolfgang Schneiderhan, as well as singers Birgit Nilsson, Jon Vickers, Hans Hotter, and Gottlob Frick.