“Guillaume Tell” (William Tell or, in German, “Wilhelm Tell”) was Rossini’s last opera, a grand and dazzling farewell to the stage that had built the composer’s undying reputation. The overture is structured in four clearly distinct parts which make no borrowings from the themes of the work. It is, in effect, a symphonic poem that begins with a tranquil Andante preceding an Allegro which depicts, perhaps, a storm in the Swiss Alps, the setting of the opera. The third section is devoted to the celebrated “ranz des vaches”, a Swiss cattlemen’s call to the flocks which is played here on the English horn. The final section, Allegro vivace, begins with a trumpet fanfare that introduces the rousing march of the Swiss soldiers. This recording of the “William Tell” Overture dates from 1975 and is part of a special “overture” special directed by Herbert von Karajan and produced with the Berlin Philharmonic for Unitel.
Weber, Overture to “Der Freischütz”
First performed in Berlin in 1821, Weber’s “Der Freischütz” quickly became one of the most celebrated German operas, and its overture one of the most popular in all of music literature. The overture follows a symphonic form that determines the thematic unity of the work. Surprisingly innovative for its time, it announces the programmatic works of Berlioz and Liszt, as well as Wagner’s first overtures. The fresh and limpid music evokes the fairy- tale setting of the opera, with its ghosts, evil spirits, seven charmed bullets, loving couple, friendly hermit and happy ending. This recording of the “Freischütz” Overture dates from 1975 and is part of a special “overture” special directed by Herbert von Karajan and produced with the Berlin Philharmonic for Unitel.
Beethoven, Coriolan Overture, op.62
At the request of the writer Heinrich Joseph von Collin, Beethoven composed an overture to Collin’s tragedy in five acts Coriolanus (1802) in the spring of 1807. It was given its first performance in March 1807 in Prince Lobkowitz’s palace in Vienna. Although Beethoven’s music did not bring about the hoped-for stage revival of Collin’s tragedy, the Overture made its breakthrough as an independent concert piece. A dramatic work that owes its somber quality to Collin’s tragedy, it came to be favored for solemn occasions. Music for the masses! This could have been the war cry of both Beethoven and Karajan. For this they had in common: the wish to reach out to millions and ensure the survival of their art. Beethoven, at the dawn of the romantic era, no longer wrote exclusively for titled patrons, but for the middle classes. To reach them, he needed new means of popularizing and distributing his works, such as concerts for paying audiences and the publication of arrangements for everything from piano to brass band. In the mid 20th century, Herbert von Karajan also saw a new way of reaching out to greater numbers of people through the combination of picture and sound – the video recording. This recording of the Coriolan Overture dates from 1975 and is part of a special “overture” special produced with the Berlin Philharmonic for Unitel.
Beethoven, Egmont Overture, op.84
Music for the masses! This could have been the war cry of both Beethoven and Karajan. For this they had in common: the wish to reach out to millions and ensure the survival of their art. Beethoven, at the dawn of the romantic era, no longer wrote exclusively for titled patrons, but for the middle classes. To reach them, he needed
new means of popularizing and distributing his works, such as concerts for paying audiences and the publication of arrangements for everything from piano to brass band. In the mid 20th century, Herbert von Karajan also saw a new way of reaching out to greater numbers of people through the combination of picture and sound – the video recording. This recording of the Egmont Overture dates from 1975 and is part of a special ‘overture’ special produced with the Berlin Philharmonic for Unitel.
Tchaikovsky, Symphony No.6 in B minor, op.74 “Pathétique”
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 “Pathétique” was recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1973.
Tchaikovsky, Symphony No.4 in F minor, op.36
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.
Tchaikovsky, Symphony No.5 in E minor, op.64
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.
Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18
One of the great concert pianists of his time, Sergey Rachmaninov (1873- 1943) is also one of the great late-romantic Russian composers. Only the second and third piano concertos, along with the “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini”, have gained a foothold in the repertoire and are frequently performed. Concerto No. 3 achieved unexpected popularity when it played a central role in the film “Shine”, whose star Geoffrey Rush was awarded an Oscar as Best Actor in 1997. In all three works a characteristic combination of surging melody, rhythmic excitement and brilliant pianistic display carries the composer’s unmistakable and personal stamp. Alexis Weissenberg, born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1929, gave his first triumphal recital in New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1947. He secured his international reputation especially with his interpretations of the works of Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. This concert with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan was recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1973.
Beethoven, Symphony No.4 in B flat major, op.60
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.