Karajan: beauty and Brahms

As published on The Supplementary Paper 

The year was 1978. It had been 24 years since Herbert von Karajan succeeded Wilhelm Furtwangler as principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. The relationship between orchestra and conductor was far from rosy. Karajan’s celebrity status, as a jet-setter sporting his famous kiss-curl hairstyle outshone by far the prodigious orchestra. The Philharmonic was subject to the egotism of its director, its ignominy epitomized by the numerous Karajan-centric music videos produced at the time. Still, Karajan’s tremendous mastery of orchestral direction is hardly contestable: there seems to be a certain magic to his every gesture. Or maybe it’s just pure charisma (he’s married to a model wife!)

The contention among critics today is that Karajan’s imposing terms has purged much of the Philharmonic’s soul, leaving much of the later recordings hollow and superficially despite their beauty. Karajan is reputed to have stripped the Berliner brass of its prowess, preferring to tune up the bass to cushion his luscious strings. This obsession over beauty, coupled with the complete musical mastery of artistic direction leaves his 1970s and ‘80s Beethoven cycle devoid of power and agony.

However, in this 1978 recording of Brahms’ 2^nd and 4^th symphonies, this beauty seems to serve the music very well. Brahms’ sophisticated orchestration calls for careful attention to balance and blend – an area which Karajan was most skilful at. The abundance of inter-weaving passages commands musicians to subscribe to the architecture of fluidity – a task fit for a genius musical dictator. (In this regard, powerful Leningrad renditions of these symphonies under Evgeny Mravinsky have yielded interesting results.)

By the late 70s, too, Karajan had become knowledgeable about the mixers and dials in the recording studio. Technology buff that he was, he was often guest to Sony CEO, Norio Ohga, so that he could access the latest toys. More importantly, the late Karajan recordings were edited and mixed by the maestro himself. While this is as close as one can get to understanding the music from the perspective of the conductor (literally a ‘director’s cut’), sadly the atmosphere and sonority of Brahms’ orchestration is somehow lost in this recording.

Will it be worth the USD12 or so for this disc? This really depends on the nature of the listener. Should one take classical music as second-hand smoke or simply as a means to de-stress, Karajan’s streamlining will assuredly soothe the nervous and frazzled. For the aspiring conductor, audio recordings are not the way to learn the ropes — there’s a trove of video resources on Karajan’s art that are more instructive. Sawallisch and Solti offer more sincere and genuine takes on Brahms for the musically-literate.

Brahms: Symphonies Nos.2 & 4 – Berliner Philharmoniker, Karajan
Deutsche Grammophon
International Release 02 Jul. 2012
CD 0289 478 4219 4 GB
http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/cat/single?PRODUCT_NR=4784219

Reference recordings:
Brahms Symphony No. 2
Sir Georg Solti: Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Brahms Symphony No. 4
Wolfgang Sawallisch, London Philharmonic Orchestra

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Is it increasingly more difficult to believe in a faith?

People of the Muslim faith have been tested throughout the 20th century, and their struggle have only intensified into the 21st. 

Syria, Egypt and Tunisia all have seen the cover of prime local newspapers. The world has heard their plight in practising their faith in the light (or darkness) of tyrannic subjugation. Praises be to God the most Merciful, they have passed this test of faith, for now they have spoken, and the world has listened. 

Here lies the key: social media, really. True, increased exposure to the flurry of ideas through our computer screens do at times test our understanding of our faith. But we need not always be at the receiving end. It ultimately is up to the believer - he can either take a concerted effort in rooting out such information, or tackle them head-on. So, it is not quite social media making it hard for us to practise our faith, but we are only bounded by our own response to all information we receive. 

The key? Social media proved too formidable and inexorable a force to be reckoned with, even by the most powerful of men, good and bad.  The voice of the believers challenged the nerves of tyrants, and awakened world leaders into action - as represented by the American cruise missiles and French warplanes bombarding Gadaffi's forces in support of the Benghazi rebels, and the ouster of Mubarak, paving the way of an Islamist government. God is the Greatest!

See, the challenges to faith posed by social media, if being responded to in a responsible and constructive manner only serves to facilitate the bolstering of one's faith. Speak the truth and it will prevail. 

Inevitably the believer comes across information which genuinely challenge his belief. To this, I say, the rise of social media is in tandem with that of Google. The Internet is a treasure trove of knowledge which in the past were confined between the walls of scholars. Why not see this as an opportunity to gain knowledge and wisdom and hence only increase our faith. After all, "admitting one’s ignorance is the beginning of wisdom" (Socrates). 

Hence, this widening of opportunity for expression only means greater ease of not only believing but also to propagate your faith. 

Social media is not only the surging force of today. Let's not forget temptation. This too today rules Man; the king of kings reign supreme deep in Man's heart. We travel, we watch television and we succumb to the cultural forces of globalization for we admire some of these foreign cultures; their freedom in conducting themselves; concept of career success triumphs over the need for self-actualization and atonement. To this, I say, wait and see. Globalization, too, is an awesome force. Everyone will realize that globalization works two ways. They (the foreign) too will have to start accommodating the faithful and their practice. 

Why? For the bottom-line ones amongst us, the global Muslim population is forecast to increase by 35% in the next 20 years. Clearly, in weighing the cost and benefit of the changing world to faith, this number speaks for itself.

To be man or wo-man?

Transcending time, its accompanied progress in socio-economic circumstances across spaces, and the engagement in paradigm shifts by societies, the human condition remains a constant.


Surely, women have undertaken new roles far away from the kitchen - at the top floor of magnificent skyscrapers or in cabinet offices; being where the world's riches and power lie.
Still, no Hillary Clinton or Angela Merkel or Indra Nooyi can stand a chance in overcoming the forces of nature.

The sad truth remains: For as long as women have existed, they have fallen victim to the relentless menstrual cycle, and the excruciating pain of childbirth. 

These issues are exclusive to the female kind, while men can at most only sincerely emphatize with the plight of women.

Ranks, riches and power and related variables aside, is there much reason to believe that being a woman is better than being a man?


As trivial as this issue seems, it is a real, pressing issue. 

Quantitatively, it's worse than world hunger, poverty and HIV/AIDS: approximately half the world population are agonized by the monthly discharges alone, every month of their lives.

Given a choice of either side of nature in terms of sex, being a man is undeniably the more convenient (and rational choice). 

We will never have the luxury of setting the terms of nature to abide by, so when this is made a variable, then we should pay attention to it more than anything else.

Talk about inequalities and injustices in income, literacy and treatment by society, but there still is some degree of control to counter these forces for a female if she so desires. But Lady Fortune waits for no women in delivering the cramps.