Thursday, February 15, 2024

Herbert von Karajan: Documentary Portrait of the Conductor Legend


Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989), one of the 20th century’s most fascinating and complex geniuses, dominated the post-war classical music world like a colossus. At the same time, his ambitious, ambivalent personality, and particularly his troubling career history with the Third Reich cast a shadow on his reputation. This film reveals the phenomenon of the man and his music while touching on inspiring, but also controversial, and troubling aspects of his career. It is Karajan himself, in archive interviews, who talks of events in his life and relates them to his work as a conductor. Featuring performance excerpts of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Richard Strauss's Rosenkavalier. ------- Chapters ▷ 00:00:00 - Intro: A Genius & His Influence ▷ 00:01:27 - Karajan's Childhood & Beginnings ▷ 00:10:40 - Career under Nazi regime, NSDAP membership & rivalry with Furtwängler ▷ 00:15:38 - Richard Strauss & World War II ▷ 00:17:55 - Meeting Walter Legge: Development of Recording Career & Philharmonia ▷ 00:24:38 - Beethoven's 9th Symphony: Karajan on Film ▷ 00:31:49 - Berlin Philharmonics Conductor for Life & Artistic Director of Vienna Staatsoper ▷ 00:33:30 - Milan, Controversies & Reflections on Conducting ▷ 00:41:28 - Salzburg's Großes Festspielhaus & Strauss's Rosenkavalier ▷ 00:47:33 - Berlin Philharmonic, Science & Innovation ▷ 00:52:42 - Bringing Music to Children & Karajan's own childhood influences ▷ 01:02:19 - Strauss's Alpine Symphony

Karajan's last concert: a tribute to exceptional leadership


In his last concert, with Jessie Norman, Herbert von Karajan exhibits fully empowering Leadership despite his physical weakness, and the music is Divine

“Tell Him” / "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" -


Pia Toscano performing “Tell Him” with Loren Allred & David Foster and "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" with Sheléa Frazier, Loren & David for his PBS special.