Berlin Philharmonic Audio

The powerful conductor Herbert Von Karajan ruled over major orchestras and released more than 800 recordings. Once a member of the Nazi party, he also possessed a dangerous ego and ambition like no other artist. British music critic Norman Lebrecht and Pulitzer Prize-winning classical music critic Tim Page engage in a lively Soundcheck Smackdown debate over Karajan's legacy, one hundred years after his birth. Weigh in : What do you think of Herbert Von Karajan?

Del the Funky Homosapien, "11th Hour" [Definitive Jux] Our next CD Pick comes from Del the Funky Homosapien, the rapper and founding member of the Hieroglyphics hip-hop collective. Del’s always been a bit outside of the mainstream, and as the slumping rap genre looks to independent artists for its future, a godfather like Del might lead the way. “11th Hour” is his first solo album in eight years, released on the Definitive Jux label, home to hip hop progressives like El-P and Aesop Rock. – Picked by Joel Meyer Mahler's Symphony No. 9 / Simon Rattle, conductor, Berlin Philharmoniker (EMI Classics) Simply put, Mahler's Ninth Symphony is one of the all-time great symphonies. Composed in New York at a time when the composer was gravely ill, it's the composer’s last completed symphony and is filled with feelings of mortality. A new recording by Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic does what any great recording of this work should: it gets to the bittersweet nostalgia of the first movement, the wild, lurching sarcasm of the inner movements, and the almost ghostly resignation of the finale. The Berliners have made memorable recordings over the years; with Rattle they show why it remains their calling card. – Picked by Brian Wise The Dowland Project: Romaria (ECM) The Dowland Project is the brainchild of English tenor and musicologist John Potter. As a longtime member of the Hilliard Ensemble, Potter was known as a champion of both early music and new music. No surprise then that his Dowland Project takes a contemporary look at some very ancient sounds. Featuring Renaissance and medieval instruments in addition to the sax/clarinet player John Surman, this ensemble’s latest release is called Romaria, and offers atmospheric, subtly modern takes on music from German monasteries, troubadours, and even a bit of Spanish/Portuguese folk music. – Picked by John Schaefer The Mandé Variations, Toumani Diabate (World Circuit/Nonesuch) The kora has been in the Diabate family for 71 generations, but it took a Toumani to bring it to the Western world. Toumani Diabate has played the ancient 21-string harp-lute instrument in Bjork’s latest album, Volta, and he is the only kora player to win a Grammy -- for an album he did with Malian countryman Ali Farka Toure in 2005. But after mixing the instrument with everything for 20 years, Toumani’s new album, The Mandé Variations, features pure and only kora. The result is an African gem with classical music status. – Picked by Gisele Regatao

Ever wonder what a difference the setting can make? Culture critic John Rockwell gets jolted out of his seat when, during a recent trip to Berlin, he's confronted by the additional musical beauty that can be made through proper acoustical construction. Browse the Rockwell Matters archives Subscribe at I-Tunes

"Berlin Without Walls" à la John Rockwell gives way to a discussion of Samuel Barber's "Vanessa" and broader observations on the roles of women in both the operatic and cinematic worlds. Also, John reflects on the rise of conductor Anne Manson, and on bursting the stereotype of the mythic, super-masculine maestro.

Spring is busting out all over, as John Rockwell explores the many different choreographic responses to Igor Stravinsky's monumental (and scandalous) "Rite of Spring."

Aired Nov, 2007. Veralyn Williams spent the last 3 weeks following a group of HS students as they prepare to perform this weekend with members of the Berlin Philharmoniker.

Find out how the oil industry benefited from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992…and what that means for Central Asia today. Wall Street Journal correspondent Steven LeVine ’s new book is The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea . The Oil and the Glory is available for purchase at amazon.com

To the world, he's known as Sir Simon Rattle. To the Berlin public, he's considered a real "Mench." If you ask the conductor himself, he'd prefer to be known as "just Simon." WNYC goes behind the scenes with the Berlin Philharmonic's music director, and hear from his friends and colleagues.

David Bowie, Iggy Pop, U2 and Depeche Mode among other artists have come to Hansa Studios in Berlin to record some of the greatest pop albums of the last century. Today, we speak with Eduard Meyer, the engineer who worked at Hansa Studios during its 70's and 80's heyday. We also hear from Alex Wende, the current co-owner of the studios to find out how it's changed over time.

Good Grief! Charles Schulz's biographer reveals some surprising secrets about the creator of "Peanuts." And we hear from a mother and daughter who learned about the US from the comic strip, living in Panama. We’ll visit Berlin with Detroit-born poet Sadiq Bey and our special correspondent Fiona Chutney. Plus, Led Zeppelin rock god Robert Plant joins forces with bluegrass star Alison Krauss for an album of twangy covers.