ihatemusic1943:
By soprano Birgit Nilsson (1918 – 2005) *
[Tras hacer click en “Read More”, la traducción al español de los reveladores párrafos]
“In a short time Bernstein became the idol of the Viennese. He was charming, warmhearted, and generous, and he knew how to treat his public. He soon had them eating out of his hand. […]
Bernstein perspired, embraced, kissed, and jumped like a tiger when he conducted. The leaps got higher and higher as the performance progressed, and when TV cameras were present, he would go wild. Once he landed (unintentionally, I presume) on the lap of the concertmaster. (Compared to the unapproachable, Garbo-like Karajan,) Bernstein was a shot in the arm. Lenny embraced the whole world and had a fire burning in his soul; what a pity he burned his candle at both ends.
Lenny kissing Lukas Foss - Herbie about to kiss Jon Vickers
Why did Karajan have such an aversion to Bernstein? […] Perhaps some truth can be found in what Bernstein secretly revealed to me. One lovely day, after a performance, I took a plane from Munich to Vienna. As it happened, Lenny Bernstein was also on board. […]
[…] There was an unspoken harmony between us and we were soon on the subject on Karajan —a theme close to his heart. When I asked why the two of them could not abide one another, he began without further ado to tell about their frst meeting many years ago. Karajan was conducting Carmen at La Scala and Lenny Bernstein was in the auditorium. Lenny found, however, that Karajan’s conducting was beneath criticism and did not want to go backstage after the performance to congratulate him. (Here I have to say that I never heard Bernstein say anything positive about anyone’s conducting; only his sarcasm was effusive.) Anyway, instead of going backstage he went directly to the Biffi-Scala, a nice place within easy reach of the opera house where one could get a meal late at night. After a while Karajan came in with his right hand man, von Matoni. Karajan went directly over to Bernstein whom he had discovered, so to speak, “in flagrante,” and introduced himself. Bernstein thanked him dutifully for the evening’s performance and encouraged him to join him at his table.
To avoid speaking about the miserable Carmen, Bernstein asked Karajan how he spent his free time in Milan. Well, he said, he went skiing in the Alps and could recommend it highly. Bernstein showed no interest and said he could not go skiing as he had no equipment with him.
At three in the morning there was a knock on Bernstein’s door at the Hotel Duomo where both he and Karajan were domiciled. There stood Karajan with his arms full of ski gear, which he offered to lend Bernstein. Lenny was touched at the friendly offer and put aside his ingrained Jewish hatred for the Nazis. The two sat together and talked all night as tought old friends.
Herbie & Lenny, skiers
Bernstein asked why Karajan had not conducted in the United States and Karajan answered quite frankly that because of his political past he was not sought after in the States. Bernstein said that Karajan had many admirers in the Stats and that as the war has ended so long ago it was possible it was all forgotten. They agreed that Bernstein would look into any possibilities and try to make the right contacts for Karajan.
There came out of this a concert in Carnegie Hall in New York City. The concert was sold out, but ended with frenzied booing against Karajan. Bernstein hurried inmediately to karajan’s dressing room to give him some consolation. There was already a throng of autographs seekers and Bernstein waited politely in the group until his “turn” came to speak with Karajan. Just as he reached the door, von Mattoni coldly slammed the door, with the explanation that the maestro was too exhausted to receive any more admirers.
Bernstein later tried to get in touch with Karajan in Salzburg and Vienna but to not avail. Karajan either looked straight through him or simply turned away. Bernstein was convinced that Karajan belivied he (Bernstein) was responsible for the demonstration against him in New York. He regretted that he was powerless to rectify this great misunderstanding.”
Above: Nina - Felicia - Jamie - Lenny - Alexander - dog Below: Herbie - Isabel - Arabel - Eliette - dog
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* La Nilsson: My Life in Opera By Birgit Nilsson, Georg Solti, Doris Jung Popper, Peggy Tueller Translated by Doris Jung Popper UPNE, 2007 ISBN 1555536700, 9781555536701 (pp. 126-128)
Pictures of Bernstein: I have no credit information about the first; the second is from 1958 and the original show Burton Bernstein as well (Library of Congress); the third is from the 1960s (Library of Congress)
Pictures of Karajan: first and third were taken by Siegfried Lauterwasser (both from 1967). I edited the second (the original show Eliette von Karjan as well): I have no credit information about it.
A continuación, la traducción al español:
¿Por qué Karajan le tenía tal aversión a Bernstein?
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¡Formidable entrada! No tenía ni idea de todo cuánto he podido leer y me he quedado de piedra. Lo cierto es que ambos directores fueron verdaderos caballeros pero Karajan fue víctima de un malentendido, seguramente mal influido y aconsejado por su camarilla.
Loable Bernstein una vez más.
Grandísima entrada, Frank. Histórica.
Un abrazo
