Does anyone else dislike Karajan?

Question

I don't hate him or anything, I just think he's not that good and I also think he conducts commercially.

So, am I the only one who dislikes Karajan?

Answer 1

I like some of his recordings. He has a great recording of Beethoven's 9th. But he gets far to lyrical in a lot of his  conducting. His recording of Wagner's Ring is simply dreadful. He takes out everything that makes it "Wagnerian." No, I don't particularly like him.

All of the great conductors of the world were at a banquet. Part way through, Leonard Bernstein said "last night I had a dream. I dreamt that I met God and He told me that I'm the greatest conductor in the world."

Herbert von Karajan stood up and shouted "I said NO such thing"

Herbert von Karajan once walked into a hotel room with his wife. Once inside, his wife exclaimed "My God! It's cold in here." Herbert then said to her "But liebchen, when we're in private you can call me Herbert."

Herbert von Karajan once went to an undertaker. He asked to be shown the coffins. He wanted to select one for his funeral. The undertaker shows him some of their most lavish coffins. The ones with carved mahogany and such. Karajan says to the undertaker "don't you have anything a bit more simple?" So the undertaker shows him their their cheapest coffins. The plain wood boxes. Karajan finally picks the cheapest coffin. The undertaker asks him "But tell me, Herr von Karajan, why economize for such an important occasion?"

Karajan looks at him and calmly responds "Why should I spend a fortune when I'm only staying three days?"

Answer 2

     Well, I can't say I dislike him.  But I do think that in the latter part of his life, his success did go to his head: became very conceited, to say the least; I would even say insufferable.

     And I feel - just my opinion - that he was much better, inspirational, in the earlier part of his career.

     If one has never heard his earliest recordings, an accurate assessment of his talent can't be comprehensive.

     I've heard his earliest recordings of the Sibelius symphonies with the old Philharmonia of London, and they are definitive in my opinion: his interpretation of this great Finnish composers music is unparalleled in its grandeur.

                                                 Alberich

Answer 3

I hated what he did to music. He smoothed off all the rough edges. He could even make 'The Rite of Spring' sound sleazy. I have very few Karajan CDs but they are mostly from ealier in his career before he became a despotic, self-worshipping tyrant.

Don't like him!

Answer 4

Yes, you probably are the only one who dislikes him.

... He's certainly number one or two in my book all the time.

Answer 5

No, you are not. The guy was far too flash and full of himself for my taste. He may have been a great musician, but the way he operated puts me right off him. Irrational, I know.