Fifty years ago, in 1958, the 19-year-old French model Eliette Mouret married Herbert von Karajan, who celebrated his fiftieth birthday that year. Their loving partnership ended only with the conductor’s death in 1989.
Now, accompanying the publication of Eliette von Karajan’s new autobiography Mein Leben an seiner Seite (My Life at his Side) (Berlin: Ullstein Verlag, 2008), here are two specially-priced CDs featuring a personal selection of her favourite Deutsche Grammophon recordings made by her husband, “in grateful remembrance of Herbert”.
The first CD comprises selections from symphonic and orchestral works – including Debussy, Ravel and Honegger – and the second vocal repertoire, featuring soloists like Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig and Thomas Stewart.
In her introduction, specially written for the CD booklet (German only), Eliette von Karajan evokes pleasant memories of her musical life with her distinguished partner, whose 100th anniversary is internationally celebrated in 2008.