An interesting interview between Friedrich Müller and Herbert von Karajan himself, from 1977, giving insights into conducting Beethoven. #Karajan #Beethoven
I'm Italian. A dear friend of mine told me that when she was little, she used to go on holiday to the "Gallia" hotel, in Lido di Spina in the province of Ferrara. One day her dad showed her a gentleman reading the newspaper comfortably seated in an armchair in the hotel lobby and said to her: Now I'll show you a very important person... do you see that gentleman? he is a very famous person, he is Herbert Von Karajan! OMG!! Now, I am a doctor and a few years ago I went on a home visit to see a patient who had many paintings of famous composers hanging on his walls, including an original autographed photo of Stravinsky! Out of curiosity (I'm a great music lover) I asked him what his profession was and he told me that he was head of the horn section in an important Italian orchestra. We talked for a long time and he told me about the time he was directed by Von Karajan. During rehearsals and at the concert Karajan never looked at his face. After the concert this musician approached him and asked him: Maestro, why don't you ever look at me while conducting us? Are you mad at me? Didn't I play well enough? And Karajan said to him: on the contrary, if you didn't play well enough, I would certainly have watched you many times!
@@Fanfanbalibarimo he conducted too few works and his repertoire was too small to be called the greatest. I agree what he did was extraordinarily good but I don't think that it should be ranked higher than Furtwängler, Toscanini, Karajan, Bernstein and all the other great conductors. Apart from that, Kleiber himself revered Karajan very much and he joined many of his rehearsals in Salzburg for example.
I love Von Karajan ever since I was a kid. I bought all his Beethoven's symphonies, his 9th recorded in 1963 ( I think) is the absolute Best. I was 15 when he came to our hometown so I took my sister's 35mm camera and waited at concert hall till he came. I took a snapshot of him n his wife. They turned n smiled. Unfortunately when the film was developed, the camer/picture was out of focus.( back then in 70s there was no auto focus cams) :-(. Of corse I couldn't afford the ticket so I went around the back n listened with my ear to the wall. I wished I knew German or English so I could communicate n ask him to pose. He was such a nice man,(and his lovely wife) I'm sure he/they would agree... That's my memory of the great Karajan... God bless his soul.
My tastes are simple. I like only the best: Herbert von Karajan, Sir Georg Solti, and Leonard Bernstein. Those are the big players in my CD collection.
@@katrinat.3032 Even with Karajan's genius as a conductor as off the charts, nobody has ever matched Solti's ending of Gotterdammerung, where it sounds and feels like the Universe is collapsing, with unrivaled sheer power! If you are a fan of Sir Georg Solti, I highly recommend the video "The Golden Ring." It is a filming of the recording of Gotterdammerung, with clips of a young Solti describing his relationship with music. And for die-hards, there is the multi-part "Orchestra" Hosted by Dudley Moore and Sir Georg Solti. My favorite part was the two hosts thinking of who they'd like to meet in Heaven. Moore mentioned Shakespeare, and Solti added Goethe.
I love this thought of never being finished with any piece of music. It´s true. One plays a piece of music differently from one period on ones life to the next.
I would say "some" piece of music. Of course in the case of the music mr karajan probably engaged with, some probably could say ANY in this case. But if we are talking generally, one can indeed be "finished" with most music. The differences will be neglagable. But of course, you can't be finished with Wagner for example.
As a longtime Karajan fan, I saw this interview for the first time today (in Corona Lockdown February 17th, 2021) and I was able to discover (for me new) facets again - e.g. that Karajan also dealt with the complex of quantum mechanics (see quote Heisenberg) and musically his remarks on the subject of rhythm and tempos -> I also think that many works are performed too slowly respectively that's exactly why I love Karajan's concert recordings ... thanks for publishing this interview!
I grew up listening to this teacher on the classical music radio in my city, from a very young age I listen to classical music, and Herber Von is one of the ones I have heard the most. Thanks for putting this interview. Greetings from South America. _------------------------------------------------- Ich bin mit diesem Lehrer im klassischen Musikradio in meiner Stadt aufgewachsen, von klein auf höre ich klassische Musik, und Herber Von ist einer derjenigen, die ich am meisten gehört habe. Danke, dass du dieses Interview stellst. Grüße aus Südamerika.
Se nota cuando dirige KARAJAN porque su ritmo es MUY EQUILIBRADO......Y CUANDO DIRIGE UNA OBRA DEL GENIAL MOZART ENTONCES SE PUEDE PERCIBIR BIEN LA GENIALIDAD SOBREHUMANA DE MOZART CON LA DIRECCIÓN DE KARAJAN
Interessante la voce di Herbert von Karajan. Mai sentito parlare in una intervista. Penso comunque che la maggior bravura, sia da attribuire agli orchestrali, a chi realmente suona lo strumento. Ho ascoltato musica classica da lui diretta per quarant'anni. Sicuramente un direttore con classe e bravura di interpretazione, soprattutto per i valzer di Strauss. Era proprietario della Deutsche grammophon, si ricchissimo.
That was absolutely fascinating! When he explained about Beethoven's notations and the Dynamics and how differently they could be interpreted by different conductors, that made total sense to me! You always hear about HOW each piece is different with each performance, and of course with each conductor but now I understand WHY!!!! After listening to this I don't feel that he's an ego maniac. I like him. Very interesting that he's done yoga for decades
He was an exceptionally well-balanced, centered man. By the way, he would observe cats, their ease, their precision, their capacity to adapt and react.
First time I have ever heard Karajan voice and it's completely different of what I always imagined! So interesting! Also this film gave me a much more humanistic impression of this men that I always thought as beeing cold and stern! Also happy to hear about Beethoven 4th which I prefer above all the others and could hear almost everyday along my life with goosebumps all the time! Finally I never approved the conducting with the eyes closed because I have the idea that looking at the musicians may give them information about the performance that could be critical. I understand now that if the rehearsals were perfect then it may be more important to close ones eyes when conducting to hear the minutest details of the playing without distractions and be able to make small interventions if needed. Nice film, thank you.
I definitely agree. I believe the very best visuals of Karajan conducting would be his 1978 Salzburg performance of Brahms' A German Requiem. Long ago I purchased it on VHS, but years later the tape broke. A few years ago I gave myself a Christmas gift of getting it on DVD. It was pricey then, but on Amazon now it's $50!
I remember thinking the same first time I heard him. And it changed over time. As he got older, more Peter Lorre crept in! Not the voice of authority one expects. Conductors are often soft spoken (Except Toscanini) with raspy voices (HVK, Solti). Bruno Walter is my favorite to hear speak. Abbado, very pleasant.
I find his conducting with eyes closed an affectation. First of all, Furtwängler, Toscanini, Klemperer, Monteux, both Kleibers . . . I could list dozens of great conductors . . . heard just fine with their eyes open. And you have to hear better at rehearsals--that's where the work gets done--than at performances. Second, the musicians want to be seen by the conductor. Aren't they human beings who appreciate encouragement, perhaps a smile after playing beautifully? (NEVER a frown after a mistake!) No, it's purely for the sake of the public. There's an anecdote that I find credible: as a young conductor, he once had himself led to the podium with his eyes closed. I find Karajan's later recordings sonically gorgeous, but strangely lifeless in Brahms and Beethoven, and I think it has to do with the whole closed eyes business.
I must say I got interested in Karajan's mention of regular yoga exercises. In fact he very often looks as if he was not so much directing but meditating...
This is wonderful. Is this the Deutsche Grammophon interview that is included in DG's latest release of the 77 cycle on Blu-Ray? Either way, thank you very much for the English subtitles, as my German is not strong enough for this yet.
Me gusta su personalidad de este director, sabe tener el control de las cosas y aunque parezca arrogante o creído en su forma de ser hay sensibilidad en el. En el video que aquí existe, en la sinfonía "Eroíca" entra al escenario con firmeza y su presencia si abarca.
Was auch immer passiert Herbert von Karajan war und ist mein Lebensbegleiter ,Es ist für mich bis Heute unbeschreiblich .Hier nur ein Beispiel von Vielen ohne Großen Terz und Trara . ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-grD6uIu5JIM.html . .zu diesem ZEITPUNKT War ich gerade mal 5 Jahre alt , und habe noch nichts wirklich begriffen ,,,Erst später aber dann Richtig . Für mich ist Herbert von Karajan UNSTERBLICH !!!
Mir hat mal irgendwer gesagt Karajan sei ein choleriker mit heftigen alluren. Bisher bin ich absolut angetan. Selten Künstler gesehen die so geerdet wirken und freundlich sind. Man merkt es jemandem an, wenn er sich bewusst damit befasst wie er Botschaften kommuniziert.
I've never seen this before. Thank you so much! He mentions "Heisenberger" and his thoughts on how snowflakes change the moment they touch your hand. Did he mean to say Heisenberg and was he referring to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle?
Geoffrey Decker: Alert! Bad joke ahead: Heisenberger stated you can know the speed of an electron in an atom, or you can know it's position- but it is impossible to know both at the same time. Now it seems Heisenberger went to a party and had a little too much to drink. He got in his car, and on the way home he broke the speed limit badly. A Highway Patrol officer pulled him over, and as he was writing out the ticket, he stated "Do you realize just how fast you were speeding?" A tipsy Heisenberger answered "No, but I know exactly where I am!"
@@colleencupido5125 Cute! But his name is Werner Heisenberg, not Heisenberger. That was my point -- and my question. I thought perhaps Karajan was talking about someone other than Werner Heisenberg and the Uncertainty Principle.
@@gddecker You are right. I thought it was Heisenberg, but when I saw Heisenberger mentioned, I wasn't sure of the spelling. I majored in History, not Science!
@@bringiton5282No doubt the Maestro pitched a few in his career; some do that when the orchestra isn't quite getting it. But where did you see that in the above comment? Just curious.
Gracias por estar subtitulado al español...pero la traducción deja bastante que desear...!!! Por favor, les ruego que se esmeren más en hacer una BUENA TRADUCCIÓN...por el bien de todos los hispanohablantes. Muchas Gracias.
The best 20th Century Director! I always try to deny it. But he was consecrated to the music as a priest to his religion. And yes... again and again we turn to Karajan to listen how should a piece must be played.
You need to close senses to reach Intuition and Coherence. This is the short version. The long version - it takes a long time to achieve it. To achieve the Master Tuning. By observing, you already have brought change to the object. "When the snowflake touches your hand, its compodition is already changed." Now, a distinction should be drawn between an Object and a Subject interactions. You can Cohere and Tune with the Object's characteristics, by shutting out senses. In the interaction between two Subjects, however, senses accelerate, enhance and bring Unity.
It's fascinating how he references the experience of filming Schumann 4 with Clouzot directing (back in 1965) from 9:34 - here's a bit of that earlier film: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Shc-4AZVaNk.html
@@antoineduchamp4931 can you tell us on what he was not accurately translated? My German isn't good enough to pick up on subtle things.The captions were simplified, but I thought gave a fairly accurate impression. Were you left with a particular opinion because of translation errors.
@@jefolson6989 What the translator of the captions gave us was technically correct, but I was disappointed by the brevity of the text... what Karajan was saying contained a lot of interesting information which was not translated.
No me agrada que saquen a relucir su pasado en el nazismo. Tuvo que hacerlo o de lo contrario su vida y la de su familia estaban en peligro. Solo Dios juzga. Y Herbert no asesinó solo nos regalo la mejor y maravillosa música. Un maestro.
I can't watch those videos where they are playing along to a recording.(lipsynching on instruments). Maestro wanted the bows to be perfectly together. Hardly matters, since the camera is mostly in close shot of his face. If they were actual performances, how thrilling they would be! Love HVK in Bruckner, but his Beethoven (and the Romantics) seem smoothed out, lacking "corners", and something about the recorded sound is depressing. Everything sounds like a cold winters day with grey skies. I'm sure its only me, but someday, someone will hear it the same as I do.
Jef Olson you are spot on. In spite of recording the Beethoven cycle 4 times, he just couldn't get it right. The absence of "corners" constantly bothers me. I have finally completely given up on hvk after 45 years and have sold off all his records and CDs that I had. I found klemperer and konwitschny better in Beethoven, Wand in Bruckner, and Gielen in Mahler. HvK deteriorated after making the move to Berlin. His Philharmonia recordings were better.
Joke: He crashed his plane in the Sahara. After a day of walking across the dunes, his canteen was empty. He prayed "God, all I ask for is a little water. Just two drops!" A tiny cloud materialized high in the air. He held out his hands, and a drop of water fell on each one. "Thank you, God!" and he smoothed the sides of his hair back. That he was incredibly vain is apparent in his later films, where you see only him and barely the players.
4:20 "I come from (have) another form of concentration, which probably comes because since 35 years I am always intensively occupied with yoga & also practice (it) daily, one comes from (has) an intuitiveness when one closes the eyes"..........& so on, & then talks about how he can "feel" the angst (nervousness) of the players, (with his eyes closed) even though he doesn't see them. Something like that anyway! This Maestro talks so fast! HE's the one who needs a metronome! Not sure about the yoga though. Sounds more like witchcraft to me!
Interesting interview. Although I think that Karajan conducting with eyes closed is simply an egocentric attitude, a way of keeping the music for himself and not sharing it with the orchestra. How are you going to transmit all the musical emotions with your eyes closed?
3 года назад
@Jarvz Kanxcell What you transmit with your eyes is as important as what you do with your hands or your body. I play violin in an orchestra and many times a conductor's gaze is more than enough to communicate what he wants to do. I have also conducted choirs and looking at the musicians is of paramount importance to communicate expression and dynamics.
Although nowadays most professional musicians would probably agree that observing a conductor with his eyes closed appears egocentric and therefore off-putting, as someone with a modicum of experience at both ends of the baton I would say that conducting with eyes closed can put the conductor in closer contact with the sounds viscerally, therefore better enabling him to feel and “ride” the sounds with his hands, sensing the subtle interplay between the sounds and his gestures. Of course for most professional musicians today this all sounds like utter BS - so conducting with eyes closed is probably a practice to be avoided at all costs if a conductor expects to command any respect from his players. But it is possible to learn to tap into similar sensations with the eyes open as well.
Didn't you understand what he said? he closes his eyes when the orchestra can almost play by themselves., i.e. when all has been corrected and amended from the rehearsal work.
3 года назад
@@fiogray you should watch his videos conducting the nine Beethoven's symphonies: he ALWAYS is conducting with his eyes closed.... So, if the orchestra always knows all that they need to do... What's the point of having a conductor?
Musikgott! Eure Heiligkeit, bitte kommt zurück auf die Erde, die Menschheit braucht euch so sehr! Seitdem Ihr uns verlassen habt, geht es nur noch bergab!
The sad thing about the title to this Karajan interview is that the interviewer doesn't ask that question until the last two minutes of the video. And then Karajan gives an answer that doesn't make sense to me, not to mention to his players and performers under his baton!
Ein plaudernder, eitler Magier der sich stets gut zu verkaufen wusste, ich mag seine Operndirigate sehr, bin aber skeptisch bei den Manipulationen seiner Sinfonien während des Remasterings . . .
How can you in good conscience, torture your English-speaking viewers, knowing how intensely they would want to hear what Von Karajan was saying, offer this interview without providing sub-titles?!
I mean, if a single great composer walked into a room, nobody would remember Karajan was even there. The ludicrous cult of the conductor is a record company / ad firm sales strategy and a reflection of the lack of contemporary composers of note.
HvK is widely credited as producing garbage conformist interpretations of music. If he didn't pump out traditionalist music during Nazi Germany while Jewish composers were being treated as if they were less than human, he'd probably be much less popular
Yes. He says he joined because he was ambitious and opportunistic. It was only a career move. In the same interview he claims Party membership card with his name is a fake!
@@hadfgagMost killers do it for the exercise. I never said anything about supporting him. I reported what he said. Hitler loved Lohengrin. So do I. What does that tell you? Wrong. There is no connection. Never ASS ume anything. Makes you MORE of an ASS .
@@jefolson6989 you're reporting what he said when what he said is trying to absolve himself of nazi guilt. Whether it's what you personally believe or not, it sure fits a revisionist narrative
@@hadfgag. I'm not able to revise history or comment on HVK and the Nazis. The question was "is there a video called 'why I joined the nazi party'?" To which I made reply with what he said. That's all. My dislike of his music making is only because I don't like the way he made music. I don't believe it has anything to do with Nazi affiliation, and I appreciate Wagner's music, while knowing he was a horrible rascist. His music has no connection to the Nazis who embraced it. There were many caught up in it, some got out, some joined the party, many were killed. I have family members who voted for Trump. I know they aren't stupid. They thought it would benefit themselves and they could stay above the cult. They were very wrong.
Sorry, but he conducted with his eyes closed BECAUSE HE WAS A JERK! Both Astrid Varnay and Birgit Nilsson had serious problems with him. Nilsson tells the story of how he got lost in Tristan, she was lost too and looking at him for help, he realized what was happening and started flipping pages so as to act he was doing something, it was embarrassing. As far as Varnay, she said "With von Karajan there were two clear beats, the first one and the last one. In between, you were on your own". And these were two musicians, more than just great singers. As far as "the greatest conductor of the XX century", that title belongs to several but if I were to give it to anybody, I would say CARLOS KLEIBER. Anyway, there are several stories about his arrogance, one that he got in a taxi, the taxi driver asked "Where to?" And he responded "Oh, it doesn't matter, they want me everywhere". The other one was at rehearsals, he used to put the baton down and stop conducting, of course, slowly things would turn bad. And he would say to the musicians "It's just to show you how much you depend on me".
In my eyes, Carlos Kleiber is not better than his father, the great Erich Kleiber. He has obscured him because of his freakish personality, not because of his superior musicianship.
He was a remarkably good conductor of Italian opera for some reason. In everything else, I want the same guys as you. Plus Walter, Jochum, Boehm, The OLD BOYS!
