A)
Karl Böhm, 1894-1981. A Nazi sympathiser, like so many Austrians of his generation, but a wonderful conductor
of Wagner. Birgit Nilsson's favourite of her own Brünnhildes was Böhm's 1966 live Bayreuth Ring recording.
Back to Photograph A
B)
Wilhelm Furtwängler, 1886-1954. There is, of course, no magic in the art of conducting. But if you believed Furtwängler
to be a magician, you might have been forgiven. His rapport with "his" Berlin Philharmonic was total and unexplainable,
but, more mysteriously still, the magic worked with other orchestras, too. His famous live Ring with the Italian Radio
Orchestra in 1952 is a case in point. The Italians start off very nervously - but, gradually at first, and then in a flood,
they produce a transcendent, a miraculous sound .... He was the Greatest.
Back to Photograph B
C)
Erich Kleiber, 1890-1956. Very definitely not a Nazi. The relative scarcity of his recordings only adds to his
legendary status.
Back to Photograph C
D)
Otto Klemperer, 1885-1973. A nutter, as you can easily tell from his piccy. Blotted his record by being a devotee of
Mahler, but more than redeemed by being the greatest of all twentieth-century conductors of Beethoven.
Back to Photograph D
E)
Hans Knappertsbusch, 1888-1965. A great Wagnerian, with a Bayreuth pedigree going back to Richter's time.
Back to Photograph E
F)
Arthur Nikisch, 1855-1922. Hungarian pioneer of modern conducting, and a potent legend in Germany and Blighty to this
day. The LSO and the Berlin Philharmonic owe him much: orchestras didn't mess about with him, and you can see why.
Back to Photograph F
G)
Hans Richter, 1843-1916. Another damned Hungarian. Friend, collaborator, assistant and enabler of R. Wagner. Conducted
the premiere of the Ring at Bayreuth in 1876, and in his later years became Blighty's leading conductor. There are
many splendid anecdotes about him which are still current .... No space for them here.
Back to Photograph G
H)
Georg Solti, 1912-1997. Yet another bleeding Hungarian, and probably the most familiar of my ten. His Decca Ring
cycle, the first complete studio recording, is still the one you should buy first.
Back to Photograph H
I)
Arturo Toscanini, 1867-1957. For better or worse, the first celebrity conductor. A perfectionist, and a great musician,
despite being Italian.
Back to Photograph I
J)
Richard Wagner, 1813-1883. Another of the inventors of modern conducting technique. His little book, On Conducting,
is still a delight to read.
Back to Photograph J
Don't bottle up your contempt and fury. Mail to davidjw@mindspring.com
Return to Start
Last Updated: 5 December 2008
