Lebrecht: Karajan Killed Classical Music

Norman Lebrecht has had enough of the Karajan worship that seems to be pervading Europe on the occasion of the maestro’s centenary. “Hitler’s poster boy offered nothing to art while ruthlessly crushing creativity… If classical music itself is widely (if unfairly) considered to be elitist, staid and retrospective, we have Herbert von Karajan to thank for making it a safe, corporate entertainment at prohibitively priced festivals.”