Holst: The Planets - Herbert von Karajan

It's funny how when someone is far and away the best at something people instantly try to find ways to rubbish them. Herbert von Karajan was easily the best conductor of last century - probably ever. Certainly he's the best one who ended up on records. Yet people are determined to defame him. If they can't show that he wasn't actually that good as a conductor then they turn to his involvement with the Nazi party. For some reason, it seems, he was a lesser composer if he wasn't a nice person. Well obviously he wasn't a nice person. Just watch a video of him in rehearsal. He bullied the snot out of some of the world's finest soloists in ...  Read the complete review

He is one of the very best conductors in the 20th century, I would say. Even though I have never had a chance of listening to his concert live in a concert hall or very the broadcast, but, I have a collection of his CDs. I have never know how to appreciate classical music before, till I listen to his music. He can some how lead the orchestra team to 'explicitly' and accurately express the composers' works and have the influences in the audience. He also give me an insight on how to listen, enjoy and appreciate orchestra work, which I don't think I will ever have if I never listen to him. In one word, he is very impressive! ...  Read the complete review

Herbert von Karajan perfectly embodied the public's image of the archetypal conductor. Head held haughtily high, eyes closed, swaying gently in time to the always-beautiful strings of his Berlin Philharmonic orchestra, he always let there be no doubt that he was in complete control at all times. In my view, he played rather too safe, usually keeping the Berlin Phil's repertoire safely within the "core repertoire" of the big romantic symphonies, and he seldom strayed successfully into the realms of the more jazz-influenced 20th century composers. Still, within that romantic area, he produced some beautiful recordings: highlights for me are his ...  Read the complete review