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When considering the great conductors of the 20th century, it is surprising how seldom Karl Böhm’s name is brought up. He may have lacked some of the finer points of being a “star” conductor. His personality wasn’t as flashy, he didn’t have public feuds with other artists and his interpretations lacked the mannerisms and instantaneously recognizable hallmarks of some of his colleagues. The genius of Karl Böhm’s contribution lies much further than skin deep which is one of the reasons why his interpretations are so enduring. Always a friend to singers, he would pace his tempi according to the strengths of the artist, whereas other conductors would remain entrenched in their preconceived notions of the piece no matter how audibly it would affect the folks tasked with executing those notions. This was particularly true in Wagner and he must have seemed a breath of fresh air with his fleet readings of Tristan and The Ring during an era when other conductors were embracing a more ponderous approach. This compilation is meant to celebrate the versatility and musical honesty of the venerated maestro on the occasion of his 120th birthday. It includes arias and excerpts from Le Nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Tannhäuser, Tristan und Isolde, Der Ring des Nibelungen, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Macbeth, Aida, Ariadne auf Naxos, Elektra and Wozzeck as well as highlighting his collaborations with artists like Birgit Nilsson, Leonie Rysanek, Christa Ludwig, James King and Anja Silja to name a few.

OD 11144-2