Weissenberg and von Karajan, Rach 2 live recording.

[jon-nyc]

From 1973.

Link to video

[Klaus]

Karajan was maybe a genius, but the show he put on and his vanity makes Lang Lang look like a shy country boy.

I like the "Karajan sound" but no video for me please

[bachophile]

Every time I hear the name Karajan I remember very very vividly this story.

I was about 9 or 10 years old. I asked my father to take me to a record store to purchase the William tell overture because at the time I thought the Lone Ranger theme was the coolest piece of music around after the Beatles.

We went into a record store somewhere near Lincoln center. I think somewhere near 57th street on the west side.

The only copy of Rossini’s overture was conducted by van Karajan. My father refused to buy it, because he was a “Nazi”. You must understand my father lost his younger sister (who would have been my aunt) at Auschwitz.

It was the first time I heard that name (van Karajan) and I never forgot that incident. My father was torn between fulfilling a young child’s wish and the memory of the war.

In the end he got it for me anyway but I always felt bad listening to it.

[Klaus]

I'd say the consensus these days is that Karajan was not a Nazi, but he was a "Mitläufer", i.e., a tag-along who went along with NSDAP membership etc. for career reasons, without being involved in any actual crimes or actually believing in Nazi ideology.

[bachophile]

@Klaus

Yes I imagine that’s so. But this was circa 1968. Just 23 years after the war. Emotions were raw for people my parents age.

At the time, WWII was as remote for me as the civil war.

Now, twenty three years ago was 1997. Wow.

[Klaus]

Well, I for one don't blame anyone for refusing Karajan due to his Nazi involvement.

The same (and more) holds for Furtwängler.

[bachophile]

@Klaus

Never heard of him. Reading his wiki bio now.

[George K]

@bachophile said in Weissenberg and von Karajan, Rach 2 live recording.:

Never heard of him.

Philistine.