Gundula Janowitz about working with Karajan (Interview Part 2)

[@clivepapayanis3121]

One of the greatest sopranos ever. A true musician and a lovely woman from all accounts. Will there be more?

[@christopherbull4001]

I sang in the chorus, when she sang Fidelio, with Jon Vickers & Theo Adam, conducted by Zubin Mehta. It was an experience of a life time. She was so committed and intense in her interpretation. Vickers was phenomenal, I’ll never forget his singing in the opening of Act II, in the summer night air, with that voice. Adam was such a commanding presence.

[@sodasoda2174]

Wahnsinn, welche Macht Dirigenten/Regisseure wie Karajan haben!

[@AnaGarcia-ri2jt]

Hatten

[@brianschmit3627]

1960s und 1970s very beautiful voicing so singing with BPO and KARAJAN. shes voice is karajan sound

[@TheBerg123]

Closed Captions, please and thank you.

[@deutschegrammophon]

Available now, sorry and you're welcome :-)

[@papagen00]

Where is Part 1 ?

[@frogmouth]

Told the Karajan story well. Fassbaender said in an interview when she was 75 that K always had an inner circle which she was never part of. Methinks life in the inner circle would have been fraught..

[@Fafner888]

Translation pls?

[@deutschegrammophon]

Is available now. Sorry for the delay!

[@Fafner888]

Many thanks!

[@axelx4770]

Deutsch lernen bitte

[@wuslon8]

Reminds me of Birgit Nilsson`s verdict on Karajan: A great artist, but a small human being

[@100Singers]

Nicolai Gedda said the same ...

[@edwardamosbrandwein3583]

I agree

[@WinrichNaujoks]

Wo ist das ganze Gespräch?

[@klassikpunk_]

Traurige Geschichte! Egal wohin man schaut - Machtkämpfe.

[@barahona68]

Genau, einfach Machtämpfe und Karajan wollte immer gewinnen. Ich erinnere mich an was tenor Bergonzi von ihm erzählte: Er wurde einmal, nach eine Reihe von lyrischen Partien, von Karajan "eingeladen" in eine ziemlich kurze Zeit eine viel dramatischer Oper zu vorbereiten (Trovatore?? Cavalleria?). Er antwortete dass er ablehnen musste weil er damit seine Stimme ruiniert hätte. Er wurde dann bedroht: Wenn du das nicht machst wirdst du nie mehr mit Karajan singen. Und so war's!

[@gillan5]

@@barahona68 auch aus dem Grunde hat Kollo mal bei Karajan hingeschmissen.

[@saboy83]

Elisabeth schwarzkopf sagt ja es ist ein reiner Konkurrenzkampf heute hochgejubelt morgen verdrängt!

[@PUCCINIMUSICK]

And Karajan WAS right to behave like this! No way.

[@MariA-ev8uy]

Puccini, :) nice to meet you, btw. Kan you develop what you said for me? Why couldn't they just kind of talk it out with each other? "You bitch... what do you think you are doing?" And she saying "I didn't know any better and from one thing to the other, I got into this job. But don't worry: you're everything for me, and I don't even click with him in anyway. He doesn't even understand me. And I think he's just a conductor, while you're my giant." Why was this not possible? I'm just asking, because maybe you know more details. Maybe Karajan didn't call her for a job, and meanwhile she had to do some work? I don't know. elucidate me please. Thank you before hand.

[@MariA-ev8uy]

And BTW, taking into account that it wasn't only Karajan who was a giant. Gundula Janowitz was an absolute giant herself.

[@PUCCINIMUSICK]

Nice point. But unfortunately she was "only" a great singer but HE was Karajan. A much bigger ego: not easy to treat with him this way. A refusal to him was a lifetime promise. Janowitz knew it well and she tried but Karajan was ruthless. I do understand his point, I suffered the same thing and in my nullity I Behaved exactly the same way, sometimes it is just a question of pride... @@MariA-ev8uy

[@janefaceinthewind6260]

I absolutely agree with you. I love her, but I think she handled that situation poorly. For all we know, he may have waited for her to "be ready". Seems like a lack of communication there didn't help either.

[@janefaceinthewind6260]

That was exactly it though - she should have sought out communication and she didn't. It seems as if he still had the vision that one day she would be ready. I love her to pieces but feel this is her loss; Karajan cared about his singers and his Fidelio was the best, while Bernstein was a diva and often careless and rough with his singers (see Christa Ludwig).

[@liedersanger1]

And said... and said..... What?

[@acacia-bloom]

Not quite sure why she ended up singing those Fidelios with Bernstein when neither of them wanted that. I was actually present at one or two of those performances and Janwowitz was way out of her depth. She produced some excruciating sounds and wasnt a big hit with the audience either.

[@dutchcub]

What an ignorant audience then, she is one of the best sopranos ever.... Probably American audience?