Dokumentary Film: »Karajan: The Maestro and his Festival«

This adventurous new documentary written and directed by Hannes M. Schalle, released to mark the 50th anniversary of the Salzburg Easter Festival, sheds new light on the creative and musical genius of Herbert von Karajan.

Narrated by Senta Berger, Schalle's new film offers a powerful fusion of visual grandeur, dramatic reenactment and rare historical archive to tell both the story of Karajan's original conception of the Festival's inaugural 1967 production of Wagner's » Die Walküre« and its recreation in 2017.

For throughout this film, Schalle aims at creating a feeling of authenticity, matching the 'fly on the wall' observances of Karajan at work, with eavesdropping session footage of the new production as conducted by Christian Thielemann.

Underlining all this is the central leitmotif of the film, namely Karajan's vision of »Die Walküre«. With Schalle's magnificent visuals and the maestro's classic DG recording resonating to haunting effect on the soundtrack, this documentary is indeed a work of beauty, insight and historical significance.