Herbert Ritter von Karajan: 1908-1989

I have many recordings by Herbert von Karajan and instinctively look to him when seeking a great version of any of the giant composers of central European classical music. Mt wife and I also have a fond memory of noting him dining with his wife and a friend in “L’Assommoir,” a fine bistrot at the top of Montmartre in (I believe) late 1968. I didn’t ask for his autograph then, but now regret I was so tasteful!!
Perhaps my fondest memory is of the 1987 New Year’s Concert from Vienna — which he conducted like the music monarch he remains — after many year’s of seeing the concert somewhat trivialized by lesser conductors and by its Kronkite interludes. However, the sight of him conducting and looking with fond admiration upon Kathleen Battleas she sang the most sparkling version imaginable of “Fruehlingsstimmen” (Voices of Spring) will stay with me. Not to be missed.

I highly recommend his Rheingold, the best on CD, and perhaps even more his Salome, Rosenkavalier, and Ariadne auf Naxos for Strauss (the last two with Schwarzkopf) and his wonderful Haensel und Gretel for Humperdinck. This last, also with Schwarzkopf, is a miracle of genial musical discovery – for the listener certainly, but also it seems for Karajan himself, who was more or less discovering the work for the first time as he conducted it in rehearsal for this performance!

I have his Lohengrin but not his Rheingold, which I shall have to look into. (I have the Solti/Vienna Rheingold). I also have Karajan’s Beethoven symphonies 5, 6, and 9 — I am not generally a devotée of Beethoven but I do love the 9th, at least when Karajan does it.

I do have Karajan leading the Berliner Philharmoniker in Bach’s Mass in B Minor, which is sublime!

I don’t know if all of the greats are gone, or I’m just too lazy to properly investigate if there is any contemporary talent. But then again, why would I? Why would I try to find another Bruno Walter?

It would appear that Norman Lebrechet vehemently disagrees.

After such a stupidly biased ad hominem insult to Herbert von Karajan, his recordings and legacy, I am sure many will now rush to preorder Lebrecht’s upcoming book on classical music “Maestros, Masterpieces and Madness.”

NOT!

This is not the first time — by far — that Lebrecht has sought to make a mark by overdoing it. A writer can bring new insights or he can descend into ad hominem negativity. Guess which category fits here. And what a fitting setting The Independent is for such stuff!!

I note L has written on Mahler. I wonder if that was equally insulting. But, then, I will never know…….!!

Wikipedia describes the criticism that Lebrecht has often come in for as follows. And this is only the first short paragraph:

“Lebrecht’s writing has often been attacked as provocative and misinformed.[1] For example, musicologist Richard Taruskin described Lebrecht as “a sloppy but entertaining British muckraker”.[2] An unnamed figure identified as “one of the world’s leading conductors” told The Independent that Lebrecht had for years been getting away with “pompous, preposterous judgment” and “inept research”.”