Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian conductor born on April 5, 1908, and died on July 16, 1989. He was the main conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he made his first appearance at the Salzburg Festival with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic. During World War II, he conducted at the Berlin State Opera. He is widely considered one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century. He was a very influential but sometimes controversial figure in European classical music from the mid-1950s until his death. One reason for his influence was the many recordings he made, which were popular during his lifetime. It is estimated that he sold 200 million records.

Biography

The Karajans had Greek ancestors. Herbert's great-great-grandfather, Georg Karajan (Geórgios Karajánnis, Greek: Γεώργιος Καραγιάννης), was born in Kozani, in the Ottoman Empire's region of Rumelia (now part of Greece). He moved to Vienna in 1767 and later settled in Chemnitz, in the Electorate of Saxony.

Georg and his brother helped build Saxony's cloth industry. Both were given noble titles by Frederick Augustus III on June 1, 1792, which added the prefix "von" to their family name. This practice ended when Austria abolished nobility after World War I. The surname Karajánnis later became Karajan.

Traditional biographers believed Herbert's mother had Slovak or Serbian origins. However, through his grandfather, who was born in the village of Mojstrana, Duchy of Carniola (now in Slovenia), Herbert's family had Slovene roots. Some also claim an Aromanian heritage. In an article in the newspaper Timpul, Romanian writer Mihai Eminescu listed Herbert's great-grandfather, Theodor von Karajan, among Macedo-Romanians in Vienna, noting that many people mistakenly thought they were Greek. Through his Slovene ancestors, Herbert was related to the Slovenian-Austrian composer Hugo Wolf. He also knew some Slovene.

Herbert Ritter von Karajan was born in Salzburg, Austria-Hungary, as the second son of physician Ernst von Karajan (1868–1951) and Marta (née Martha Kosmač; 1881–1954), who married in 1905. As a young boy, Herbert learned to play the piano. From 1916 to 1926, he studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Franz Ledwinka (piano), Franz Sauer (harmony), and Bernhard Paumgartner (composition and chamber music).

Paumgartner encouraged Herbert to focus on conducting, recognizing his talent. In 1926, Herbert graduated from the conservatory and continued his studies at the Vienna Academy, studying piano with Josef Hofmann and conducting with Alexander Wunderer and Franz Schalk.

Herbert made his conducting debut in Salzburg on January 22, 1929. This performance caught the attention of the general manager of the Stadttheater in Ulm, leading to Herbert's first job as assistant Kapellmeister at the theater. His senior colleague in Ulm was Otto Schulmann. After Schulmann left Germany in 1933 due to the Nazi Party takeover, Herbert was promoted to first Kapellmeister.

After World War II, Herbert did not speak about his membership in the Nazi Party, causing confusion about his involvement. One story says he tried to join the Nazi Party in Salzburg in April 1933 but failed to complete the process. Later, he officially joined in Aachen in 1935, suggesting he was not eager to join. More recent research clarifies that during the Nazi era, Herbert always opened his concerts with the Nazi favorite song "Horst-Wessel-Lied" but claimed he joined the party only for career reasons. His enemies called him "SS Colonel von Karajan."

In 1933, Herbert made his conducting debut at the Salzburg Festival with the Walpurgisnacht Scene from Max Reinhardt's Faust. In 1934, he led the Vienna Philharmonic for the first time and conducted operatic and orchestra concerts at the Theater Aachen from 1934 to 1941.

Herbert's career grew in 1935 when he became Germany's youngest Generalmusikdirektor in Aachen. He also conducted in Bucharest, Brussels, Stockholm, Amsterdam, and Paris. In 1938, Herbert made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic and conducted Fidelio at the Berlin State Opera. His performance of Tristan und Isolde was praised by a Berlin critic as "Karajan the miracle." The critic compared Herbert to Wilhelm Furtwängler and Victor de Sabata, Germany's top opera conductors at the time. That same year, Herbert signed a contract with Deutsche Grammophon and recorded the Magic Flute overture with the Staatskapelle Berlin.

Herbert's career continued to grow at the start of the war. In 1939, he became State Kapellmeister and conductor of the Prussian State Orchestra. He also led the Staatskapelle Berlin, touring Rome with great success. The next year, his contract in Aachen ended. His marriage to Anita Gütermann (who had one Jewish grandparent) and the legal issues involving his agent Rudolf Vedder caused a temporary decline in his career, limiting his engagements. However, his war-time concerts with the Staatskapelle were critically praised and attracted media attention.

By 1944, Herbert claimed he was losing favor with the Nazi leadership but continued conducting in Berlin until February 18, 1945. Soon after, he and his wife fled Germany for Milan, with help from Victor de Sabata.

Herbert's rise in prominence from 1933 to 1945 led some to believe he joined the Nazi Party only for career reasons. Critics like Jim Svejda noted that other famous conductors, such as Arturo Toscanini and Fritz Busch, left Germany or Italy during this time. Richard Osborne pointed out that among conductors who stayed in Germany during the war, Herbert was one of the youngest and least experienced. He was allowed to conduct various orchestras and travel, even to the Netherlands, where he conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra and made recordings in 1943. Herbert also performed for 300 Nazi officials at a conference in Linz, Austria, in June 1944. In September 1944, he was listed on the "Gottbegnadeten" list, which exempted talented artists from military service.

In 1946, Herbert's denazification tribunal in Vienna cleared him of illegal activities during the Nazi period. The Austrian board officially discharged him on March 18, 1946, and he resumed conducting soon after. Years later, former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt said, "Karajan was obviously not a Nazi. He was a Mitläufer."

In 1946, Herbert

Musicianship

One of Karajan's special talents was his ability to get beautiful sounds from orchestras. His biographer Roger Vaughan noticed this while listening to the Berlin Philharmonic in 1986, after nearly 30 years of working with Karajan. He said, "The beauty and perfection of the sounds are what catch your attention. The softest parts are very clear. The increases in volume happen exactly when they should. The pauses are clean and smooth, with no rough edges."

A unique part of Karajan's conducting style was his habit of conducting with his eyes closed. This is unusual because conductors usually use eye contact to communicate with the orchestra. However, Vaughan noted, "There are no strict rules in conducting—only guidelines. Even unusual methods are accepted if they work well." James Galway, a flutist with the Berlin Philharmonic from 1969 to 1975, said Karajan often achieved his goals through charm.

Karajan had reasons for some of his unusual methods. For example, conducting with closed eyes helped him stay focused while memorizing music. His way of studying scores was also different. His friend Walter Legge said:

Karajan was also known for his very accurate sense of timing. He once tested his ability against a computer to prove it. He believed this skill was learned, not inherited, and considered it essential for musical performances.

He said that problems with rhythm made him angry. He could accept a wrong note from an orchestra, but not if the music became faster or slower than it should be.

He once told a German journalist why he preferred the Berlin Philharmonic over the Vienna Philharmonic: "If I tell the Berliners to move forward, they do it. If I tell the Viennese to move forward, they do it, but then they ask why."

Karajan was known for interpreting music from many periods of the classical era, from the Baroque era to the 20th century. He admired Glenn Gould's performances of Bach and once performed the D minor Keyboard Concerto with him. A scholar named H. C. Robbins Landon said Karajan's recordings of Haydn's 12 London Symphonies were among the best. His many recordings of Beethoven's symphonies are still popular today.

Karajan was especially interested in music from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. He was deeply connected to the works of Anton Bruckner and Jean Sibelius. In a 1981 interview, he said, "There is a deep connection between Sibelius and Bruckner. Both have a sense of the Urwald, the primaeval forest, and a feeling of powerful, natural forces." Later in life, he repeated similar ideas.

A writer named Layton explained this connection by saying:

The strongest praise for Karajan's interpretation of Sibelius came from Sibelius himself. According to his friend Walter Legge, Sibelius said, "Karajan is the only conductor who plays what I meant."

Karajan also conducted many operas, including works by Wagner, Verdi, Richard Strauss, and Puccini. Verdi's opera Falstaff was a major part of his career. He made two recordings of Falstaff—one in 1956 and another in 1980. His colleague Otto Klemperer called his Vienna State Opera production of Falstaff "really excellent." Strauss was also a big influence in Karajan's life, both as a composer and a conductor. Karajan remembered meeting Strauss in 1939.

Karajan conducted and recorded music mostly with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. He also worked with other orchestras, such as the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Orchestre de Paris, but most of his recordings were made with the Berlin and Vienna orchestras. He also left many recordings with the Philharmonia Orchestra, with his last performance in 1960.

He recorded with several labels, but he was most closely linked to Deutsche Grammophon, making 330 recordings with them. His 1981 recording of An Alpine Symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic was the first work ever released on a compact disc. Although his music was widely available on analog records, he made many digital recordings in the 1980s, including new versions of Beethoven's symphonies. In the 1990s, Deutsche Grammophon released the Karajan Gold series, which improved his 1980s recordings using advanced technology.

Karajan also made films of his performances for companies like Unitel and his own company, Telemondial.

Critics have different opinions about Karajan's style. For example, the Penguin Guide to Compact Discs gave mixed reviews of his work:

• For a 1971–72 recording of Tristan und Isolde, they wrote, "Karajan's performance is very beautiful and the Berlin Philharmonic plays beautifully."
• For his recording of Haydn's "Paris" symphonies, they said, "The performances are very heavy and not graceful. They are more like Imperial Berlin than Paris."

In his 1989 obituary, New York Times writer John Rockwell said, "Karajan had a special gift for Wagner and especially for Bruckner, whose music he conducted with great skill and emotion."

Legacy

Herbert von Karajan's concerts were considered important cultural events. During his 1982 tour of the United States, famous musicians like Zubin Mehta, Seiji Ozawa, and Frank Sinatra attended his performances at Carnegie Hall. Karajan focused more on music than on fame or recognition. He once said, "When I am on the podium, I forget about the audience. I only hope that people's interest in me leads them to enjoy music more."

Karajan was known for his work with recording technology. He created over 800 recordings, more than any other conductor of his time. His recordings sold more than 200 million copies. In 1989, he earned over $6 million from record sales and conducting fees. By 2008, his fortune was valued at 250 million euros, making him one of the best-selling classical music artists even after his death.

Although Karajan was a skilled conductor, he rarely taught students in person. Instead, he recorded rehearsals and preferred to work behind the scenes. He had a close friendship with Seiji Ozawa, who was considered his most successful student. Ozawa was once considered a possible replacement for Karajan at the Berlin Philharmonic, as Karajan praised him for having "the best character" for the job.

Karajan and Leonard Bernstein respected each other but sometimes competed. Bernstein conducted two concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1979 as part of the Berliner Festspiele. Some people thought Bernstein could not perform in Berlin while Karajan was alive, but this was not true. The Berlin Philharmonic's director invited Bernstein to perform, though Bernstein did not want to take part in a subscription concert series.

In 1955, during a tour of the United States, Eugene Ormandy, the music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, refused to shake Karajan's hand because of Karajan's past membership in the Nazi Party. The Philadelphia Orchestra was seen as Karajan's main competitor for musical excellence during the 1950s to 1970s, though it was also known for being more flexible and skilled.

Karajan received many honors. In 1960, he became a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. In 1961, he was awarded the Austrian Medal for Science and Art. He also received the Grand Merit Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Karajan won several Grand Prix du Disque awards. In 1977, he received the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. In 1978, he was given an honorary doctorate from Oxford University. He also received awards such as the Médaille de Vermeil from the Académie française, the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society, and the UNESCO International Music Prize. He won two Gramophone Awards for recordings of Mahler's Ninth Symphony and Parsifal in 1981. In 1984, he received the Eduard Rhein Ring of Honor. In 2012, he was inducted into the Gramophone Hall of Fame. He also received the Picasso Medal from UNESCO.

From 2003 to 2015, the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize was given annually to recognize musical excellence. The first recipient was Anne-Sophie Mutter, who had performed with Karajan in 1977. In 2015, the prize was renamed the Herbert von Karajan Prize and presented at the Salzburg Easter Festival.

Karajan was an honorary citizen of Salzburg (1968), West Berlin (1973), and Vienna (1978). Since 2005, his legacy has been managed by the Eliette and Herbert von Karajan Institute.

Karajan received 40 Grammy nominations over 30 years and won three Grammy Awards. He won Best Opera Recording for Bizet's Carmen in 1964 and Wagner's Siegfried in 1969. He also won Best Classical Orchestral Performance for a Beethoven symphony cycle in 1978. His Beethoven recordings are still widely popular and highly praised.

Monuments have been built in Karajan's honor. In Salzburg, a life-sized statue of him stands outside his birthplace. A bronze bust of Karajan was placed in the foyer of West Berlin's new State Theatre in 1983.

Two of Karajan's recordings were used in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The version of Johann Strauss's The Blue Danube played during the film's space scenes was recorded by Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic. The version of Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra used in the film was recorded by Karajan with the Vienna Philharmonic.

Karajan signed a contract with Deutsche Grammophon in 1938 and was known for his attention to detail in recordings. He recorded operas by Verdi and Puccini, including those with Maria Callas. His recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic include Also sprach Zarathustra, Der Ring des Nibelungen, and Mahler's Symphony No. 5.

During his lifetime, Karajan was closely associated with Beethoven's works. He recorded four complete Beethoven symphony cycles. The first was with the Philharmonia Orchestra for Angel between 1951 and 1955. The next three were with the Berlin Philharmonic for Deutsche Grammophon between 1961–62, 1975–76, and 1982–84.

Karajan preferred to conduct and record works from the early 20th century, including compositions by Mahler, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Bartók, Sibelius, Richard Strauss, Puccini, Honegger, Prokofiev, Debussy, Ravel, Hindemith, Nielsen, Stravinsky, and Holst. He performed Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony many times and recorded it twice. He and Shostakovich met during a tour in Moscow in 1969.

In a 1983 interview, Karajan said that if he had been a composer, his music would have been similar to Shostakovich's. He conducted works by Hans Werner Henze, including Sonata per Archi (1958) and Antifone (1960). He also performed Pizzetti's opera Assassinio nella cattedrale in 1960. He premiered Carl Orff's De temporum fine comoedia in 1973 with the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and recorded it for Deutsche Grammophon.

In 2023, the Theater Aachen removed a bust of Karajan from its foyer due to his involvement with the Nazi Party. The theater plans to replace it with a bust of Mozart.