Legendary Decca Recordings - Karajan

April 5, 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Austrian-born conductor Herbert von Karajan, a legendary figure in the world of classical music. Von Karajan rose to musical supremacy as the director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming one of the most famous and celebrated conductors of the second half of the twentieth century. Although he made the majority of his symphonic recordings with Deutsche Grammophon, von Karajan also recorded for Decca in the 1950s and 1960s.

In honor of this momentous anniversary, a set has been reissued containing all of von Karajan's orchestral recordings made with the Vienna Philharmonic for Decca during the late 1950s and early 1960s. One of the most renowned recordings in this collection is his rendition of Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra, which gained worldwide recognition when the opening was used in Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Karajan's other Decca recordings include some of the finest studio recordings of various operas, many of which have remained staples in the Decca catalogue since their initial release in the 1960s and 1970s. These include Tosca featuring Leontyne Price, Die Fledermaus with Gueden and Wächter, Aida with Tebaldi, Simionato, and Bergonzi, Otello with Del Monaco and Tebaldi, La Bohème with Pavarotti and Freni, and Madama Butterfly also featuring Pavarotti and Freni.

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