This clip came from a film (one of several) that Karajan made with legendary French filmmaker Henri-Georges Clouzot. Although it belies the popular image we have of Karajan the egotist, in reality he was always rather camera shy, especially in his younger years. Here Clouzot manages to capture something close to the "authentic" maestro: the gruff manner, the rushed, nervous (and slightly stuttering) speech, the sinewy athleticism of his presence at the podium - it's all there. But best of all, Clouzot gives us extraordinary insight into the "Karajan sound" and how it was achieved. If you watch the entire film (which contains not only this rehearsal footage but also a complete performance of the Shumann 4th) the "before/after" contrasts are stark. As one can see from this clip, the players of the VS had a much difference collective idea of this piece than did Karajan, and throughout rehearsal, Karajan gradually changes that collective idea to match his own ideal: legato phrasing; a sense of constant pulse throughout the entire work; awareness for the long line rather than the lumpier approach favored by most other conductors; vertical balance between the instruments (to create a more homogenous tone); a singular focus on beauty of sonority; and what Karajan called "proper weight of tone." Each time Karajan stops to instruct the players, there is a transformation. Before long, they are playing it the Karajan Way. Karajan was not only a great artistic visionary, he was also a master motivator and communicator (if idiosyncratic). In short, he got what he wanted, always. Here we get to see how.
Toda la sinfonia ,segun explica Karajan es un pretexto de Schuman para construir un "obstinato" a punta de cambios sutiles o drasticos-segun el momento- en las mismas notas y en las mismas melodias. Y al final cuando termina la sinfonia no nos hemos dado cuenta racionalmente de este detalle "tecnico", sino que hemos escuchado una pieza verdaderamente sublime. He ahi el genio del compositor y la "capacidad" de Karajan de explicarlo de manera sencilla.Muy instructivo.
Have You ever been in an intensive rehearsal? It's not easy to think and do all the things right away. It's not thinking only about music, but also the technique,dynamic and many other things, and at the same time playing with passion! Whose the stupid one?! It's easy for people to judge. It's the best thing that people can do actually...
It becomes kind of pretentious when people continue to say "this is not an actual rehearsal." We all know Karajan was a shameless self-promoter, that he was heavily involved in editing his films, etc. Who cares? That's like saying, you know, don't be scared when you watch Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs are fake. Duh. The point is that this is educational and entertaining. Besides, from interviews it appears this IS how Karajan conducted (pun intended) himself anyway.
If the Berlin Philharmonic can be considered a "stupid" orchestra for not being able to instantly adapt to Karajan's imposing demands instantly and on the fly, then there's no hope for music.
I guess that's a good thing, huh? Or else Karajan wouldn't be demonstrating as much and music students wouldn't be able to learn from him quite as much. :)
