Clemens Krauss

In 1933, he took over the world premiere of Richard Strauss's opera Arabella in Dresden after the departure of conductor Fritz Busch to England.

His commitment to contemporary music had caused financial losses at the Philharmoniker's subscription concerts therefore the orchestra abolished the position of a permanent conductor.

The Nazis invited Clemens Krauss to direct the Berlin State Opera in 1935 after Erich Kleiber had resigned in protest against National Socialist government policies.

Krauss was never a member of the NSDAP or its affiliates, however he had several meetings with high ranking representatives of the regime, including Göring and Hitler.

Krauss gave cover to their smuggling operation and Munich Opera House shows were arranged around the times and cities that the Cooks needed to make contact with escapees.

[9] After the Munich opera house had been destroyed by Allied bombing, Krauss returned to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic in 1944-45 until it ceased activities shortly before the end of World War II.

[10] Krauss then resumed conducting many of the Vienna Philharmonic's concerts, including its famous annual New Year's Day pops concerts featuring Johann and Josef Strauss waltzes, overtures and polkas, many of which were recorded for Decca along with other studio recordings of mostly Johann, Josef and Richard Strauss.

[11] In 1953, he was for the first time invited to the Bayreuth Festival, conducting an impressive Wagner Ring cycle now available on CD, starring Astrid Varnay as Brünnhilde.

A performance with the Vienna Symphony of Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, reissued on more than one inexpensive label since its original appearance on a Vox LP, is also one of the few recordings featuring pianist Friedrich Wührer.