Herbert von Karajan emerged after World War II as the most important conductor of his generation. In 1955 he became conductor-for-life of the Berlin Philharmonic and the following year became director of the Vienna State Opera. He made frequent international tours and recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic and the combination of the charismatic conductor and his remarkable orchestra became the stuff of legend. Karajan died in 1989 at the age of 81 but his reputation lives on through his vast number of recordings and films and through the memories of those who witnessed his incomparable music-making.