Karajan played an important role in the development of the original compact disc digital audio format. He championed this new consumer playback technology, lent his prestige to it, and appeared at the first press conference announcing the format. Early CD prototypes had a play time limited to sixty minutes. It is often asserted that the decision to extend the maximum playing time of the compact disc to its standard of seventy-four minutes was achieved in order to adequately accommodate Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. This, however, is denied by Kees Immink, who co-invented the CD.
As was the case with soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Karajan's membership in the Nazi Party and prominent cultural association with Nazism from 1933 to 1945 cast him in an uncomplimentary light after the war. While Karajan's defenders have argued that he joined the Nazis only to advance his own career, his critics have pointed out that other great conductors such as Bruno Walter, Erich Kleiber and Arturo Toscanini fled from fascist Europe at the time. It should be noted, however, that many famous conductors worked in Germany throughout the war years, including Furtwängler, Ansermet, Schuricht, Böhm, Knappertsbusch, Clemens Krauss, Rother and Elmendorff. Additionally, careerism could not have been Karajan's sole motivation, since he first joined the Nazi Party in 1933 in Salzburg, Austria, five years before the Anschluss. In The Cultural Cold War, published in Britain as Who Paid the Piper?, her book on CIA cultural policy in postwar Europe, Frances Stonor Saunders noted that Karajan "had been a party member since 1933, and never hesitated to open his concerts with the Nazi favourite 'Horst Wessel Lied.'" Additionally and in contradistinction to Wilhelm Furtwängler, Karajan had no objections to conducting in occupied Europe. Musicians such as Isaac Stern and Itzhak Perlman refused to play in concerts with Karajan because of his Nazi past. Some have questioned whether Karajan was committed to the Nazi cause given the fact of his marriage in 1942 to Anita Guetermann, a woman of clear Jewish origin, but it is only from that point that Karajan's star within the government dimmed.
Von Karajan has often been criticized for a performance that was too polished, especially in later years. "...[He] opted instead for an all-purpose, highly refined, lacquered, calculatedly voluptuous sound..." (Harvey Sachs). However, there is widespread agreement that Herbert von Karajan had a special gift for extracting beautiful sounds from an orchestra.
Classical, Baroque, Opera, Romantic, Philharmonic
Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 4, 7
Hoch
Herbert von Karajan Lyrics
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Ich bring' euch gute neue Mär
Der guten Mär bring' ich soviel
Davon ich singen und sagen will
Euch ist ein Kindlein heut geboren
Von einer Jungfrau auserkorn
Dies Kindlein ein so zart und fein
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
Ich bring' euch gute neue Mär
Euch eine gute neue Mär
Der guten Mär bring' ich soviel
Davon ich singen und sagen will
The lyrics are from the traditional German Christmas carol "Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her" which translates to "From Heaven above to earth I come". The song opens with the singer declaring that they come from Heaven to share some good news with the listeners. The good news that they bring is the birth of a child, who is born to a chosen virgin, and the child is delicate and should be a source of joy and happiness.
The lyrics use stark and beautiful imagery to describe the story of the Nativity, and invoke a feeling of joy and hope that is typically associated with the Christmas season. The song emphasizes the birth of Jesus Christ as a symbol of good news and hope for the world. The use of repetition, with the singer repeating the first two lines and the chorus, creates a sense of celebration and unity, which is perfectly suited to the festive occasion of Christmas.
Overall, "Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her" is a beautiful and timeless Christmas carol that has been cherished by generations of people worldwide who celebrate Christmas.
Line by Line Meaning
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
From heaven above, I descend
Ich bring' euch gute neue Mär
I bring you good news
Der guten Mär bring' ich soviel
I bring so much good news
Davon ich singen und sagen will
Of which I will sing and tell
Euch ist ein Kindlein heut geboren
Today, a child is born to you
Von einer Jungfrau auserkorn
Chosen by a virgin
Dies Kindlein ein so zart und fein
This child is so delicate and fine
Soll eur' Freud und Wonne sein
It shall bring joy and delight to you
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
From heaven above, I descend
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
From heaven above, I descend
Ich bring' euch gute neue Mär
I bring you good news
Euch eine gute neue Mär
A good and new story for you
Der guten Mär bring' ich soviel
I bring so much good news
Davon ich singen und sagen will
Of which I will sing and tell
Lyrics © editionPlus Verlags GmbH, Edition IDEE-VERLAG, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Franz Frankenberg, Johannes Jorge, Martin Luther, Wolf Hausmann
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind