Berliner Philharm. Orchester – Page 2

Verdi, Overture to “La Forza Del Destino”

Debussy, La mer

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.

Wagner, Overture to “Tannhäuser”

Wagner’s overture to “Tannhäuser” is as beloved as his “Flying Dutchman” overture and also structured primarily around two themes. The first, which later becomes the motif of the Pilgrims’ Chorus, glows with all the solemnity of a chorale and unfolds with majesty, presented first by the clarinet, bassoon and horns. The second theme evokes the realm of love and is dominated by the chromatic theme of the Venusberg before the entire orchestra joins forces to intone Tannhäuser’s dazzling hymn. This recording of the “Tannhäuser” 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.

Rossini, Overture to “Guillaume Tell”

“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.

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.

Tchaikovsky, Symphony No.6 in B minor, op.74 “Pathétique”

Tchaikovsky, Symphony No.4 in F minor, op.36

Tchaikovsky, Symphony No.5 in E minor, op.64

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.3 in E flat major, op.55 “Eroica”

Rafael Kubelik (1914-1996) was the son of the well-known Bohemian violinist Jan Kubelik. He studied music in Prague and made his conducting debut at 20 at the head of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Later he became the principal conductor of this famous orchestra and founded the “Prague Spring” Festival. After the Communist takeover of the government, Kubelik emigrated to the West and returned to his native land only after the end of the Communist regime. From 1950 to 1953 he headed the Chicago Symphony, from 1955 to 1958 he was music director of the Covent Garden Opera in London. A period of great artistic successes began in 1961, when he was appointed principal conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Many recordings document Kubelik’s mastery and sense of artistry, his enjoyment of music and his temperament. His connection with the Munich orchestra lasted 18 years; in between, he also briefly served as music director of New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Kubelik retired from the concert staged in 1985. But on the occasion of the first Prague Spring Festival after the fall of Communism in 1990, he returned to the podium of the Czech Philharmonic after more than 40 years in exile and conducted Smetana’s “My Fatherland” cycle. His profound bonds with his native land and its composers were always clearly visible. Rafael Kubelik was a full-blooded musician. Every performance of his radiated a feeling of spontaneity, impulsiveness and joy. Kubelik died in Lucerne in August 1996 at the age of 82 after a long illness. Beethoven originally dedicated this symphony to Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he saw as the champion of the common man, a hero pursuing the newly founded ideals of the French Revolution: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. However, upon hearing that Napoleon had declared himself emperor, Beethoven became furious and tore up the title page containing the dedication. The “Eroica” marks one of the turning points in music history, heralding a new age in symphonic style. Prior to this work, Beethoven had been a composer with roots in the 18th century. The Third Symphony’s length and the nature of its thematic material, emotional depth, range and harmonic daring set it apart from any earlier symphonic work.