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Herbert Von Karajan |
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Published: 2008-05-13 |
List price: $29.98
Our price: $19.97
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As of: November 20th, 2008 04:47:57 AM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 Informative and Elegiacal
Robert Dornhelm's 92 minute film on the late, great Herbert von Karajan is informative, beautiful and elegiacal. More than any other question, it addresses what made Karajan (arguably) the supreme conductor of his generation and one of the towering musical figures of the twentieth century. Much rehearsal footage is included, as well as incisive, on-point, commentary by Christa Ludwig, Gundula Janowitz, Helmut Schmidt, Seiji Ozawa, Christian Thielemann, Brigitte Fassbaender, Yevgeny Kissin, Rene Kollo, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and others (gratuitous flattery seems absent). Karajan himself talks a lot in interviews and interacting with orchestras in rehearsal, generating thereby a feel for his artistry, one so inextricably entwined with his personality that it was never a transferable "method."
Robert Dornhelm's documentary is beautiful to look at, organized more thematically than chronologically. It is not a biography, though biographical information is encompassed, including, i.a., his membership in the Nazi party and the row with the BPO over his appointment of Sabine Mayer as principal clarinetist. Karajan has said elsewhere that, earlier in his career, he aimed at a synhesis of the "objectivity" of a Toscanini and the passion and sponteneity of a Furtwangler; ironically, neither name is mentioned in the film. Nor is there any discussion of his involvement in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra (of which he was principal conductor), originally a recording orchestra formed by Walter Legge for EMI, a rival firm to Deutsche Grammaphon who issued the DVD, though ample mention is made of Karajan's affiliation not only with the Berlin Philharmonic, of course, but also with the Vienna Philharmonic and La Scala (of which he was also music director), all with DG affiliations. Karajan left the London post when he became principal conductor of the BPO upon Furtwangler's death. These suspect omissions are, however, more peculiar than crippling.
Most interesting is a whole section towards the end of the documentary juxtaposing the contrasting styles of Karajan and Leonard Bernstein (both DG artists, incidentally). It is really an illuminating sequence.
There's loving participation by Karajan's widow and their two daughters.
Hidden in the menu under the word "trailers" are extensive excerpts from released DVD Karajan performances, not truncated clips but whole excerpts, e.g. the final scene from Rheinegold, part of Brahms German Requiem, Jon Vickers doing Vesti la Giubba, von Suppé's Light Cavalry, etc.
Robert Dornhelm has put together an intelligent, beautiful documentary which will bring much repeated pleasure to anyone interested in 20th century classical music performance. Karajan is inescapable. The b&w rehearsal and concert film of Karajan and the Vienna Symphony (not the VPO) by Henri-Georges Clouzot is also warmly recommended.
I need to acknowledge that since I was a teenager I have been an admirer of Herbert von Karajan's work and have had the pleasure, indeed privilege, of seeing him perform live in concert, in the opera house, and as harpsichordist (!) with a chamber ensemble.
Now we're talking!
I am a professional conductor and have been a huge fan of Karajan for 40 years. This DVD should have been released 30 years ago! It would have made Karajan even more of a household name. Great documentary in every way. The best part is all of the never-before-seen footage that we all knew existed but for whatever reason took this long to release. Based on what we see here, there must be hundreds of hours of Karajan rehearsal footage just sitting in the vaults - PLEASE RELEASE THIS MATERIAL!!!!!!
If you are at all interested in Karajan, purchase this film. Sure, not EVERYTHING is covered but it paints a wonderful picture of a historically important conductor. Great release DG. More please, much more.
(I'll bet DG and Sony could release all of their Karajan DVD's with an extra companion disc of rehearsal footage of the works performed/recorded. People would love it!)
Thanks so much.
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