Herbert von Karajan

"A New York City taxi driver asked him where to go; Karajan replied "No matter - I am in demand everywhere.""

"If I tell the Berliners to step forward, they do it. If I tell the Viennese to step forward, they do it, but then they ask why."

"Those who have achieved all their aims probably set them too low."

"Herbert von Karajan always rolled out a magic carpet for us, the singers. With him, our musical work took on another dimension."

"Isaiah Berlin referred to Karajan as "a genius, with a whiff of sulphur about him"."

"La vie même de Herbert von Karajan est un roman: petit aristocrate salzbourgeois devenu enfant prodige; étudiant viennois bûcheur acharné; chef d'orchestre de province pour qui seule compte la musique."

"Wer all seine Ziele erreicht, hat sie wahrscheinlich zu niedrig gewählt."