If Herbert von Karajan continues to be a looming presence in today’s classical music world, then it is not only because of his more than 800 records and CDs, but also because of the many hours of video recordings which he produced over the course of many years. He began preserving his performances on film back in 1965 with ‘La Bohème’. His ‘Carmen’ is based on his 1966 production for the Salzburg Festival with Grace Bumbry – one of the greatest interpreters of the title role in our time –, Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni and Justino Diaz in the lead roles.
Beethoven, Symphony No.3 in E flat major, op.55 “Eroica”
When, in the mid 1960s, Herbert von Karajan decided to record on film all nine Beethoven symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic, he began with the “Fifth” and asked the famous French movie director Henri-Georges Clouzot (Quai des Orfèvres) to direct. Recognizing in the music-loving director a kindred soul and master of the symbolic image, Karajan found an inspired partner. In another of Karajan’s first efforts, he asked six directors to “stage” one movement each of a Beethoven symphony. For a full week, the directors had the Berlin Philharmonic and Herbert von Karajan – all in full dress – at their disposal, with all the 35mm film, cameras, lighting and technical assistance they needed. Karajan’s most controversial production was Hugo Niebeling’s highly personal interpretation of the “Pastorale”, with its abstract shots of instruments, rapid rhythms, fade-ins and symbolically arranged colors.
Brahms, Symphony No.4 in E minor, op.98
Commanding the podium with his slender figure, theatrical shock of hair and penetrating blue eyes, Herbert von Karajan projected the hieratic image of the conductor as officiant of some quasi-mystic rite. And anyone who ever saw him conduct live or on his many audiovisual recordings will agree that in his performances, music did indeed become a religion and Karajan its high-priest. Karajan (1908-1989) embodied classical music in the general consciousness as an epoch-making conductor, media star, opera producer, festival director and festival founder. But in spite of his Promethean and widely varied activities, he remained a superb conductor, with a grasp of the standard orchestral and operatic repertory from Mozart to Schoenberg that was unsurpassed among his peers. The Symphony No. 4 was recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1973.
Otello
Herbert von Karajan, a master painter of aural and visual panoramas, has created a medley of Mediterranean moods, extending from the violent storm of the Overture to the golden hues of the palace scenes. Jon Vickers, in one of his greatest roles as the brooding Moor Othello, displays the full brilliancy of his legendary voice; Mirella Freni, as Othello’s tormented wife Desdemona, secures our compassion with singing of serene vocal beauty; Peter Glossop is as evil an Iago as one can imagine. Three definitive portrayals of some of Verdi’s most powerful characters. With the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Herbert von Karajan’s Salzburg Festival production is assured of an electrifying impact.
Bruckner, Symphony No.9 in D minor
Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 can be regarded as the composer’s musical testament. Bruckner (1824-1896) told a friend: “I dedicate my last work to the Lord of lords, to my dear God. I hope that He will grant me enough time to complete it.” His wish was not fulfilled; the composer was still working on the finale the day he died and the symphony remained a torso. Bruckner nevertheless considered the work as the crowning point of his oeuvre, and he is said to have woven his musical farewell to life in the symphony’s Adagio. One of Bruckner’s most congenial interpreters was Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989). Karajan embodied classical music in the general consciousness as an epoch-making conductor, media star, opera producer, festival director and festival founder. But in spite of his Promethean and widely varied activities, he remained a superb conductor, with a grasp of the standard orchestral and operatic repertory from Mozart to Schoenberg that was unsurpassed among his peers.
Beethoven, Symphony No.2 in D major, op.36
When, in the mid 1960s, Herbert von Karajan decided to record on film all nine Beethoven symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic, he began with the “Fifth” and asked the famous French movie director Henri-Georges Clouzot (Quai des Orfèvres) to direct. Recognizing in the music-loving director a kindred soul and master of the symbolic image, Karajan found an inspired partner. In another of Karajan’s first efforts, he asked six directors to “stage” one movement each of a Beethoven symphony. For a full week, the directors had the Berlin Philharmonic and Herbert von Karajan – all in full dress – at their disposal, with all the 35mm film, cameras, lighting and technical assistance they needed. Karajan’s most controversial production was Hugo Niebeling’s highly personal interpretation of the “Pastorale”, with its abstract shots of instruments, rapid rhythms, fade-ins and symbolically arranged colors.
Cavalleria Rusticana
Based on a drama by Giovanni Verga, “Cavalleria Rusticana” relates the lives and passions of simple Sicilian peasants. It was the first opera of the “verismo”, or realist, school. Director Åke Falck adds a cinematic dimension to what would otherwise be a fairly straightforward screen document of celebrated director Giorgio Strehler’s La Scala production by means of outdoor shots of Sicily’s splendid landscapes during the overture and intermezzo. Combined with the lavish set and costumes by Luciano Damiani, these images intensify the feeling of a sultry southern landscape as a background to the inflamed passions and violence of the action. As Santuzza, Fiorenza Cossotto’s passionate intensity make a good contrast to Adriana Martino’s gaily-dressed, light-hearted Lola. Gianfranco Cecchele makes a rakish Turiddù, and Giangiacomo Guelfi is a strong, swaggering, confident Alfio. The production was filmed in 1968.
Beethoven, Missa Solemnis in D major, op.123
Recorded live in Salzburg in 1979, the performance of Beethoven’s Missa solemnis was one of the highlights of Herbert von Karajan’s Easter Festival that year. Amassing the forces of the Berlin Philharmonic and the chorus of the Wiener Singverein, Karajan provided an unforgettable experience enhanced by the artistry of renowned soloists Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Ruza Baldani, Eric Tappy and José van Dam. The Missa solemnis blends an age-old religious service with a musical outpouring of human emotions in an intensely personal manner. Beethoven conceived the mass for a religious occasion, the installation of Archduke Rudolf as Archbishop of Olmütz in 1820. However, he did not complete it in time and the work was given its premiere in St. Petersburg on 7 April 1824. In his score, Beethoven wrote the words “From the heart… may it find its way to the heart.” Indeed, the work’s dramatic, almost volcanic fervor never fails to go to the heart of all listeners.
Verdi, Messa da Requiem
Originally performed at La Scala in 1967 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Toscanini’s death, this production with the orchestra and chorus of the Teatro alla Scala was presented in Moscow, Montreal and New York, in addition to Milan. It was recorded on film in 1967, now with the young Luciano Pavarotti replacing Carlo Bergonzi. One of Karajan’s earliest film productions (and his first color film), it reflects his innovativeness especially through his choice of Henri-Georges Clouzot as director. Clouzot was the creator of classic “films noirs” such as “Quai des Orfèvres” and “Wages of Fear”.
Dvorák, Symphony No.9 in E minor, op.95 “From the New World”
I take my hat off to a man who is not a professional musician but has learned a score like that of the Requiem in only ten days”, wrote Herbert von Karajan to Henri Georges Clouzot in 1967. When Karajan began recording on film in the mid 1960s, one of the men he turned to for artistic assistance was the noted film director Clouzot, the creator of classic “films noirs” such as “Quai des Orfèvres” and “Wages of Fear” (Le salaire de la peur). Between 1965 and 1967, Clouzot directed five works for Karajan, whereby he displayed a marked talent for underlining the conductor’s “star” aspect. Dvorák’s Ninth Symphony was produced in 1966. The performance is preceded by a filmed rehearsal which offers valuable insights into Karajan’s art of conducting and into his interpretation of Dvorák’s “great intimacy with nature, which his music expresses in every tune and which is also a kind of folklore” (Herbert von Karajan).