Karajan artists: George London – Karajan’s first Count on record

George London was one of the singers who had an intensive working relationship with Karajan at the Vienna State Opera during the latter’s management of the institution (1957 – 1964).

There was no further cooperation (see below). London had already been engaged at the State Opera in 1949 after a successful audition for the then managing director Franz Salmhofer. Salmhofer was heard to say “What a voice, what a voice,” and several colleagues in the ensemble applauded London after he had sung Escamillo’s “Toreador Aria” from “Carmen”. The first encounter between Karajan and London was in the studio for “The Marriage of Figaro” in October 1950. It was Karajan’s first complete opera studio recording (although critics claimed it wasn’t “complete” because the secco recitatives were left out) and London was cast as Count Almaviva. His voice in this recording was praised by opera expert Attila Csampai as “gloriously jovial and dark”.

Only three weeks later, London was the speaker in Karajan’s second opera recording, “The Magic Flute”, two days after their first joint performance of Verdi’s Requiem in Vienna. Another Karajan favourite, Beethoven’s “Fidelio”, had its premiere at La Scala in 1952. It was the only occasion on which London appeared as Don Pizarro under Karajan’s baton. When Karajan took over the management of the State Opera, George London immediately performed with him one of his best-loved and, as we have heard, most successful parts for the first time – Escamillo in “Carmen” (four performances were to come in the following season). Another famous role in London’s repertoire was Scarpia in “Tosca”. In June 1958, Karajan “conducted […] two performances of ‘Tosca’, the first with Brouwenstijn and Gobbi, the second, even finer, with Rysanek and George London. (Richard Osborne)” Another “Tosca”, a year later, was Karajan’s and London’s last ever joint performance. In between, they had also worked once on “The Marriage of Figaro” (London again as the Count) and “Aida” (London as Amonasro).

In the middle of the 1960s, at the height of his artistic ability, London suffered from “paralysis of a vocal cord” and had to end his career in 1967 at the age of 46. He turned to teaching and established the “George and Nora London Foundation” for singers – together with his wife Nora, who was involved in the foundation up to her death in 2022. George London died in 1985.

—  P.R. Jenkins