Karajan, Herbert von (5th
April 1908-16th July 1989)
He is a conductor born Heribert Ritter von Karajan to an upper-middle class
family of Greek origins in Anif, near Salzburg,
Austria.He studied conducting at the Mozarteum
Conservatory and conducted Salome
in 1929 in Salzburg.He became Kapellmeister at a theatre
in Ulm and in 1934 he conducted
the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time.He worked the whole time during WWII
as he applied to become a member of the Nazi family but after he had lost
his way in a concert of Die Zauberflote Hitler assured Winifred Wagner that he
would never play in Bayreuth
again.He was banned from
conducting in Austria
by the Russian occupation authorities because of his Nazi membership
although he did appear anonymously at the Salzburg Festival in 1947.By 1948 he had managed to become an
artistic director of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna,
conduct at La Scala, Milan, and
make recordings with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London,
which became one of the most highly acclaimed.He was given a life-time appointment
as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1955 but still
retained a close association with the Vienna Philharmonic.He continued to be prolific in his
recording and conducting right up until he died.He was present at the first press
conference on the development of the compact disc and the playback
technology and is seen as a major contributor to the format.He was known for his ego and one
story goes that when he was asked where he wanted to go by a limousine
driver in Vienna he replied
"It does not matter.I'm wanted everywhere."
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra recordings
Adagio in G (Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni)
Deutsche Grammophon DG 419 046-2 (CD: Albinoni/Pachelbel/Corelli & Manfredini/Vivaldi)
Conductor - Herbert Von Karajan
Adagio in G (Tomaso Giovanni
Albinoni)
Deutsche Grammophon DG. 445 282-2 (CD: Adagio - Karajan)
Conductor - Herbert von Karajan
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Recordings
Giselle (Adolphe Charles Adam)
Decca 0289 473 171-28 (2 CD set - Essential Ballet - 37 Masterpieces)
