The Karajan® Archive is the central source for research on the life and works of Herbert von Karajan. It is the biggest and most comprehensive collection for any classical musician worldwide. It preserves unique documents ranging from the patent of nobility of the Karajan family to a score of “The Valkyrie” with Karajan’s stage directions. Its database contains information on over 2200 recordings by Herbert von Karajan (live and studio) of over 750 classical works, over 3300 concerts, concert reviews and more than 3000 photographs. The huge and largely digitised catalogue with its complex metadata opens up endless possibilities in a technology-driven world. It is one of the most important missions of the Karajan Institute to present and support initiatives in the field of music technology.
In more detail the Karajan archive contains:
- correspondence of the Karajan secretariat from 1975-1989 and various letters
- reviews of concerts from international newspapers
- programme booklets and notes from concerts and festivals
- over 3000 photographs
- recording database and large collection of digitised music files
- music film database
- documentaries and interviews with and about Herbert von Karajan
- music scores
- Herbert von Karajan memorabilia: batons, certificates, director’s chair, busts etc.
The Karajan Archive is open to the interested public by appointment. Please contact the archivist, Mag. Pia Bernauer at archiv@karajan.org or via telephone at +43 662 84 11 11 – 13.
