A rare look at Herbert von Karajan

up:date May 22, 2023 by Jans Bock-Schroeder

Herbert von Karajan was a towering figure in the world of classical music, and his impact on the art form is still felt today. A conductor of extraordinary talent and vision, von Karajan brought a level of musicality, precision, and interpretive depth to his performances that few others could match.

One of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, von Karajan ruled over the Berlin Philharmonic and European classical music for more than three decades. Celebrated for his recordings of Beethoven, Mozart and Mahler symphonies, he sold some 200 million albums.

He’s both an icon and an enigma in the story of 20th century music.

Herbert von Karajan: Behind the Scenes

---

Karajan G.O.A.T. (rare pictures)

Photojournalist Peter Bock-Schroeder, known for his portraits of celebrities and politicians, met Herbert von Karajan in the 1960s.

In the course of their collaboration, Bock-Schroeder captured a number of photos of Karajan, both in formal situations and in spontaneous moments.

Bock-Schroeder's photos of Karajan offer a rare and valuable insight into the life of a man who was deeply committed to his art and who left a lasting mark on classical music.

The Bock-Schroeder Karajan series is a treasure for fans and music lovers. They are a testament to the enduring legacy of the greatest conductor of all time.

Karajan, the man behind the music

Born in 1908 in Salzburg, Austria, von Karajan began his musical career as a pianist and violinist. However, it was as a conductor that he truly made his mark. He first gained international acclaim in the 1950s, when he took the reins of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and transformed it into one of the finest orchestras in the world.

Over the course of his career, von Karajan conducted a wide range of repertoire, from classical masterpieces to contemporary works. He was known for his rigorous rehearsals and his exacting standards, and he demanded the highest level of performance from his musicians.

Von Karajan's influence extended far beyond the concert hall. He was a pioneer in the use of technology in classical music, and his recordings and televised concerts helped to bring classical music to a wider audience. He was also a driving force behind the construction of the Berlin Philharmonic's iconic concert hall, the Berliner Philharmonie.

Karajan was one of the most artistically outstanding, commercially the most successful conductor of all time with more than 200 million records sold during his lifetime, an icon of classical music and a legend of multimedia-marketed, globalized music.

Karajan's work is documented on countless records. Herbert von Karajan is still a synonym for Classical music. In his pursuit of an almost effortless legato sound of otherworldly beauty, he stands for unique perfection. His instrument with which he achieved this perfection was the Berliner Philharmoniker, whose chief conductor he was from 1956 – and from 1963 in the spectacularly beautiful Berlin Philharmonie.

Karajan purchased six aircraft in the course of the years, comprising a Beechcraft Twin Turboprop and two jets, a Lear and a Dassault Falcon 10. The Salzburg Airport officially inaugurated its new "Herbert von Karajan Terminal" for private aircraft on March 25, 1999.

Karajan’s approach, they say, represents an ideology in which the superficial gloss, finish and perfection of orchestral sonority is an end in itself, a one-size-fits all solution for repertoires from Bach to Berg, from Mozart to Mahler, which ironed out the expressive edges of everything he conducted.

Herbert von Karajan was a conductor of unparalleled talent and vision, and his contributions to classical music will be remembered for generations to come.

He was certainly a great musician, but there are dark political shadows in his biography. Those responsible for continuing his legacy have to date failed to come to terms with this part of Karajan's history.

This is a pity, because the world wide audience of Karajan fans would accept the truth and could still appreciate the magnitude of Karajan's musicianship.

---

Herbert von Karajan invited Peter Bock-Schroeder to photograph him and his family. The pictures, which are published and distributed exclusively by the Bock-Schroeder Foundation, were taken in Salzburg and in the south of France in 1964.

Bock-Schroeder rejected Karajan's offer to become his personal photographer.

---

---