Herbert von Karajan

Macht – Ohnmacht – Vermächtnis

Serie: SOLO - Porträts und Profile

Of all the great conductors of the 20th century, Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) is probably the world's most famous, but at the same time the most elusive phenomenon. Even if such a statement seems paradoxical, it is justified in view of the deep contradictions in the personal and artistic biography of Karajan's exceptional talent.Taking into account old and new documents, the book creates a differentiated and contemporary picture of Karajan's complex personality and summarizes these contradictions under the dialectic of power and powerlessness.Karajan's rise began under National Socialism; as chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, successor to Furtwängler and in strategic alliance with the prospering recording industry, the "General Music Director of Europe" was able to develop his career in an unprecedented manner from the mid-1950s onwards. On the other hand, his claim to realize an objectifying interpretation, controlled by him in every detail, led to inevitable conflicts - with individuals and institutions (in the end as a break with the Berlin Philharmonic), as a hybrid, seemingly superhuman personal union of conductor, director, artistic director and entrepreneur, and finally as a resigned working away at the technological utopia of perfect performance. Whether Karajan's legacy is that of a performer, a technical visionary or perhaps even that of a music politician is therefore open to debate.The series "SOLO - Porträts und Profile" invites you to get to know the artists of "classical" music. For the first time on the German-language book market, the focus here is on international performers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Each book portrays a musical personality in an accessible and compact form: conductors, soloists and singers. Biographies and careers are presented as well as essential characteristics of individual music-making. A classification of the artistic profile rounds off the well-founded descriptions. The authors of the series are proven experts in their respective fields and come from research and practice.