Böhm’s recordings of the operas of Mozart, Wagner and Richard Strauss have been praised by critics—even more so since his death in 1981. Undoubtedly, his choice of superb singers in his operatic recordings was in part responsible for their success, but Böhm (born in Graz in 1894) also brought a deep sense of involvement with his native Austro-German tradition. Studying with Mandyczewski, one of Brahms’ closest friends and musical confidants, enriched that sense, and there was a sensuous beauty and sense of expressive phrasing in many of his finest performances—in operas or in the symphonies of Beethoven, Schubert, and Bruckner. Böhm’s conducting style was lean and inconspicuous, and this might have been politically motivated. In the early years of the Third Reich, Böhm expressed admiration for Hitler, which did him no harm professionally in Germany. But he never joined the Nazi party and he continued to work with anti-Nazi directors and designers. He was also an influential champion of the modernist operas of Berg: Wozzeck, and Lulu. Today, an impressive number of his recordings remain critically acclaimed.