Knftige Lebenswege Von Schulkindern

One of his peculiarities was that he usually conducted concerts with his eyes closed, vexing many orchestra musicians. However, through Karajan’s intense rehearsals they were thoroughly prepared for performances. “His philosophy was that everything the orchestra needs had to happen beforehand,” the string bassist Rudolf Watzel recalled. Under Herbert von Karajan the Berliner Philharmoniker developed their very own performance culture, characterised by a beauty of sound, enchanting legati, virtuosity and perfection. He preferred to concentrate on the classical-romantic repertoire: Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Wagner and Strauss. In addition, he devoted himself to the Second Viennese School and leading composers of the early 20th century like Ravel, Stravinsky and Debussy, taking occasional excursions into the contemporary era with works by Messiaen and Henze, even Penderecki.

Petra von Kant is a successful fashion designer – arrogant, caustic, and self-satisfied. She mistreats Marlene (her secretary, maid, and co-designer). Enter Karin, a 23-year-old beauty who wants to be a model. Petra falls in love with Karin and invites her to move in. The rest of the film deals with the emotions of this affair and its aftermath. Fassbinder tells his story in a series of 5 or 6 long scenes with extended uses of a single camera shot and deep focus.

Lars von Trier’s stunning debut film is the story of Fisher, an exiled ex-cop who returns to his old beat to catch a serial killer with a taste for young girls. Influenced equally by Hitchcock and science fiction, von Trier boldly reinvents expressionist style for his own cinematic vision of a post-apocalyptic world. Shot in shades of sepia, with occasional, startling flashes of bright blue, The Element of Crime (Forbrydelsens Element) combines dark mystery and operatic sweep to yield a pure celluloid nightmare.

Wagner interpretations with Herbert von Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker have a quality all of their own. Critics always admired the ability of the musicians to bring out not only Wagner’s luscious sound, but also all the subtleties of the score. Moreover, Karajan was able to rally the singers to successfully convey the lyrical tenderness of Wagner’s heroes despite their vocal powers.