Various Composers - Operatic Overtures and Intermezzi (Herbert von Karajan)

Information

1. Jules Massenet - Thaïs, Act 2: Méditation
2. Luigi Cherubini - Anacréon: Ouverture
3. Carl Maria von Weber - Der Freischütz, Op. 77, J. 277: Overture
4. Franz Schmidt - Notre Dame: Intermezzo
5. Giacomo Puccini - Suor Angelica: Intermezzo
6. Giacomo Puccini - Manon Lescaut: Intermezzo
7. Pietro Mascagni - L'amico Fritz: Intermezzo
8. Engelbert Humperdinck - Hänsel und Gretel: Overture
9. Felix Mendelssohn - The Hebrides, Op. 26, MWV P7 "Fingal's Cave"
10. Otto Nicolai - Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor: Overture

Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin (1)

Berliner Philharmoniker

Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Date: 1981 / 2025

Label: Warner Classics

_____________________

This collection of intermezzi marked the first appearance on an EMI recording of Karajan's protégée Anne-Sophie Mutter, in the Meditation from Thaïs.

Herbert von Karajan (1908–1989) was one of the most influential conductors of the 20th century. A Salzburg-born prodigy, he studied at the Mozarteum and made his conducting debut in 1929. After early posts in Ulm and Aachen, he gained prominence with the Berlin State Opera before World War II. Despite his Nazi Party membership, he was cleared after the war and went on to a stellar career, leading the Berlin Philharmonic from 1955 to 1989. Karajan also directed the Vienna State Opera, La Scala, and the Salzburg Festival, shaping modern orchestral performance with his precision, polish, and pursuit of sonic perfection.