Rare and historically significant vintage matte-finish 7 x 9 photo on a 9.75 x 13.75 card mount, signed and inscribed (in German) on the mount to Herbert von Karajan, Strauss adding a four-measure musical quotation from his opera Elektra and the date February 18, 1940. On the day of signing, Karajan, then just thirty-one, conducted Elektra at the Berlin Staatsoper, with Strauss in attendance. Over the next several decades, Karajan earned a place among the most esteemed musical figures in modern history, and his performances and recordings of Strauss’ music came to be regarded as among the finest interpretations of that composer’s music. Indeed, it was Karajan’s recording of Also sprach Zarathustra, as used in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, that helped transform the tone poem into a pop-culture icon. In very good condition, with scattered soiling and light foxing to mount, a few wrinkles, creasing to the mount in several places, and a few very subtle traces of silvering to photo, the writing remaining clear and dark. Given the secure place of both men in the musical pantheon, as well as their very significant musical association, we simply believe this to be one of the most superlative Strauss photos in existence! COA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
