So you thought classical music was dead?

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-17672782746247894172008-01-23T11:34:00.001Z2008-09-22T15:34:21.191+01:002008-09-22T15:34:21.191+01:00So you thought classical music was dead?<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_FPpiWNARTt4/R5buPKN21GI/AAAAAAAADgY/e2rAShQYJYg/s1600-h/galleria1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158572367407404130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_FPpiWNARTt4/R5buPKN21GI/AAAAAAAADgY/e2rAShQYJYg/s400/galleria1.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://davidderrick.wordpress.com/">davidderrick</a> has left a new comment on your post "<a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/2008/01/musics-unmerry-widows.html">Music's unmerry widows</a>" - Not 1981, surely? CDs only came in in March 83. This was around 89. Possibly for the genius's 80th birthday? 'Scuse pedantry ... David, the Galleria series were originally released in LP format. I could not recall having bought any of the series. But age doesn't just <a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/2007/07/youth-not-time-of-life-but-state-of.html">make better conductors</a>, it also plays tricks with memory. Which is why <a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/2008/01/mahler-with-such-human-warmth-and-soul.html">Sir John Barbirolli</a> conducted from a score. After your comment arrived I went through my LPs and found this 1982 vinyl record, complete with <a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/search/label/eliette%20von%20karajan">Eliette von Karajan</a> painting, which I have just photographed. The Deutsche Grammophon website <a href="http://vadimrepin.com/artist/biography.htms?ART_ID=KARHE">confirms the dates</a>. Meanwhile the Karajan centenary bandwagon is really starting to roll. Tonight (Jan 23) BBC Radio 4 promises <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008pwmr">a 'reassessment' of Karajan</a> (why not Radio 3 - not <a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/2007/08/ingratiating-schmaltzy-egregious-and.html">Classic FM enough</a> for them?), while DG's centenary releases are <a href="http://www2.deutschegrammophon.com/artist/?ART_ID=KARHE">here</a> (but I can't see the excellent vinyl only <a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/2007/07/move-over-iphone-here-comes-vinyl.html">Second Viennese School set</a>). The Karajan industry is definitely hard currency - the Austrian Mint are to issue a 5 Euro commemorative coin in April. There are going to be <a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/2008/01/i-was-herbert-von-karajans-mate.html">books galore</a> (but no <a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/2005/04/downfall-and-mystery-of-karajans.html">Lauterwasser volume</a>), re-releases of recordings, and more memorial concerts than there were for Princess Diana. If you thought classical music was dead check it all out <a href="http://www.karajan.co.uk/centenary.html">here</a>. The current <a href="http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/details/496/?no_cache=1">Karajan memorial European tour</a> by the Berlin Philharmonic features Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony (but there are no <a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/2008/01/heard-bach-got-t-shirt.html">T-shirts</a>). By coincidence my first classical record was that symphony on DG conducted by Karajan. Read about it <a href="http://www.overgrownpath.com/2005/04/my-first-classical-record.html">here</a>. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot ukPliablenoreply@blogger.com