Herbert von Karajan Essentials

Karajan headed the Berlin Philharmonic from 1955 until his death in 1989, and created one of the most powerful and successful "brands" in classical music. His repertoire was enormous, ranging from the Baroque to the modern, yet centered in the Romantic era (his Bruckner and Strauss were magnificent). He recorded key works many times, each one harnessing new technologies, from stereo to digital to video. He sold millions of recordings and attracted a vast global audience thanks to his iron-fisted control of his image and the sophisticated marketing of his art. His 1962 Beethoven symphony cycle remains a classic.