Spotlight Offenbach: overtures and ballet music
It is often said that like few other conductors Karajan had the ability to give so-called ‘light’ music a special distinction...
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Spotlights
Karajan artists: Wilma Lipp – first mother then daughter
Wilma Lipp made her debut as an opera singer at the age of 17, became a member of the Vienna State Opera at 20, had her breakthrough as “Queen of the Night” at 23 and recorded the opera with Karajan when she was...
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Spotlight Schoenberg: “Verklärte Nacht”
Karajan naturally interpreted Arnold Schoenberg’s “Verklärte Nacht” not in its original form as a string sextet but in the version for string orchestra...
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Karajan artists: Montserrat Caballé – the last diva
Karajan and Montserrat Caballé met only on a few occasions but the maestro impressed her deeply. When asked about him in 2008 (Karajan’s centenary) the singer...
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Karajan artists: Henri-Georges Clouzot – a great (concert) film maker
Henri-Georges Clouzot was one of the best-known film-makers in French cinema, internationally acclaimed for films like...
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Spotlight Strauss Family: waltzes and polkas
Karajan loved the works of the Strauss family and conducted and recorded them throughout his entire career...
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Karajan artists: David Bell – Karajan’s man for the queen of instruments
From the middle of the 1970s up to the maestro’s death in 1989 David Bell was Karajan’s favourite organ player. Bell was an EMI assistant producer for Karajan’s “Lohengrin” recording in 1976. When the schedule...
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Spotlight Schmidt: the “Notre Dame” intermezzo
Karajan never had the slightest intention to be a composer and none of the composers he knew personally...
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Karajan artists: Rita Streich – Karajan’s only Zerbinetta
Rita Streich was – like Wilma Lipp and Erika Köth – a singer cast by Karajan in the 1950s and 1960s when he was in need of a coloratura soprano with strong nerves...
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Karajan artists: Helen Donath – a youthful voice
When he cast singers for young characters like Eva in “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” and Marzelline in “Fidelio” Karajan was always keen on voices that sounded really young. Helen Donath had such a voice...
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