Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) completed his Te Deum in 1883. It is perhaps his
most "modern" work, with its ostinato technique, sharply delineated sound
groups and primeval rhythmic power pointing ahead to the 20th century. In
this 1978 production with the Vienna Philharmonic and chorus of the Wiener
Singverein under Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989), the work unfolds its full
majesty particularly thanks to the great soloists Anna Tomowa- Sintow,
Agnes Baltsa, David Rendall and José van Dam. And, of course,
to Herbert von Karajan, one of Bruckner's most congenial interpreters.
Karajan embodied classical music in the general consciousness as an epoch-
making conductor, media star, opera producer, festival director and
festival founder. But in spite of his Promethean and widely varied
activities, he remained a superb conductor, with a grasp of the standard
orchestral and operatic repertory from Mozart to Schoenberg that was
unsurpassed among his peers.
