简介：Overtwenty-fiveyearsafterhisdeathinJuly1989,thecontroversialAustrianconductorHerbertvonKarajanremainsanenigma.Hewasthemostsuccessfulconductorinthehistoryofclassicalmusic.Manyofthoserecordings-ofItalianopera,ofWagnerandRichardStrauss,ofSibelius,BeethovenandBrahms-aretreasuredbymusicloversaroundtheworld.Yet,evenatthepeakofhisfame,hisperformanceswerevariouslycriticisedforbeingtooopulent,toomanicured,lackingwarmthorspiritualdepth. Thismusicalprofileexploresthemanyparadoxesinthelifeandmusicofthiscontroversialfigure,whoforgedhisinternationalreputationinLondonwiththePhilharmoniaOrchestrashortlyaftertheendoftheSecondWorldWarandwentontoreignsupremeintheclassicalmusicworldduringhisthreedecadeswiththeBerlinPhilharmonic.ThefilmalsoexaminesKarajan'sbeliefinthevisualpowerofmusic,andhisdeterminationtoleavebehindasubstantiallegacyofmusiconfilm. Karajanwasfamousnotonlyforhismusic,butalsohisglitteringoff-dutymomentsontheskislopes,pilotinghisownjet,sailinghisyachtanddrivingtop-of-the-rangefastcars.Yet,atthesametime,hewasasolitarymanwithfewfriends,whodrewhisstrengthfromlongwalksintheAustrianmountains. Inthisfeature-lengthprofile,thefirstevermadeaboutKarajanforBBCTelevision,thosewhoworkedcloselywithKarajan,includingsingersPlacidoDomingoandJessyeNorman,violinistAnne-SophieMutter,conductorsNikolausHarnoncourtandSirNevilleMarrinerandflautistSirJamesGalway,speakofhisalmostmagicalpowerasaconductorandtherealitythatlaybehindtheKarajanmyth.…