I would like to preface with the note that I heavily try to avoid social media due to a multitude of reasons.
I wanted to note my opinions on Herbert Von Karajan and Cancel Culture in general as an extension.
As I noted previously Herbert Von Karajan is by far my favourite conductor. All it takes is a few minutes of listening to his performance of Dvorak’s 9th symphony to be convinced https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IdOodlwzSs.
Herbert Von Karajan born 1929 was a Nazi sympathizer and most sources note that as a contributor to his rise to prominence during the mid 20th century https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_von_Karajan. Though I am against the Nazi philosophy of the 20th century we have a dilemma as the works preformed by Karajan during this time period are arguably the best of the century. In my opinion his mastery of tempo and emotion are unparalleled and his performances of Mozarts Requiem, Dvorak’s 9th symphony and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony are worlds apart from any other conductors during this time period.
The point remains whether true talent and mastery should be allowed with politically unpopular ideologies. In the 21st century it may be easier to neglect his political leanings and appreciate his works for what they are but this trickles through to works done today. There are many contemporary artists today that preform well above their peers but may be unfavourable due to their political leanings.
I won’t delve into the morals of this as it varies from individual to individual (and artistic skill does not absolve moral/criminal concerns) but simply wanted to use this as a note that as cancel culture may pose a large impact today looking back half a century results seem to justify the means as Herbert Von Karajan a known Nazi sympathizer who at the time might have been ostracized for this belief now lives immortal through his immaculate performances.