Editing Philharmonia Orchestra (section)

===1950s: Karajan to Klemperer===
[[File:Otto Klemperer.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=head and shoulder image of man with dark hair and spectacles, glaring towards the camera |right|[[Otto Klemperer]], first principal conductor of the Philharmonia]] 
As Legge had expected, Karajan succeeded to the Berlin and Salzburg positions after Furtwängler died in 1954.{{refn|It was generally seen as a foregone conclusion that Karajan would succeed Furtwängler, although protracted contractual negotiations meant that Karajan did not formally take over until April 1956.<ref>Osborne, p. 372</ref>|group= n}} Karajan remained under contract to EMI, but he quickly reduced his commitments to the Philharmonia.<ref>Pettitt, pp. 74 and 92</ref> Among alternatives favoured by Legge and the orchestra was [[Guido Cantelli]], who conducted some well-received recordings and concerts; his death in a plane crash in 1956 at the age of thirty-six deprived the Philharmonia of a potential replacement for Karajan.<ref name=p86>Pettit, p. 86</ref> Another of Legge's protégés, [[Carlo Maria Giulini]], seemed promising, but had not at that point established himself with the orchestra or the public, and had a restricted repertory.<ref name=p86/> Legge gradually built up a strong relationship with the veteran [[Otto Klemperer]], who was admired by the players, the critics and the public.<ref>Previn, pp. 20, 159, 174 and 183</ref>

The year after Cantelli's death, the orchestra suffered a still worse blow with the death in a car crash of Dennis Brain, not only a supremely gifted player, but the most popular member of the orchestra among his colleagues.<ref name=p90>Pettitt, p. 90</ref> He was succeeded as principal horn by his deputy, [[Alan Civil]].<ref name=p90/>

In 1957 Legge launched the [[Philharmonia Chorus]], an amateur body with a stiffening of professionals when needed.<ref name=p86/> The chorus made its debut in Beethoven's [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|Choral Symphony]] conducted by Klemperer, and won extremely favourable reviews.<ref>Pettitt, p. 91</ref> In ''[[The Observer]]'' [[Peter Heyworth]] wrote that with so fine a choir and "our best orchestra" and a great conductor, Legge had given London "a Beethoven cycle that any city in the world, be it Vienna or New York, would envy".<ref>Heyworth, Peter. "Klemperer and Beethoven", ''[[The Observer]]'', 17 November 1957, p. 14</ref> In 1959 Legge abandoned his policy that the orchestra should have no permanent conductor, and appointed Klemperer "conductor-for-life".<ref>Pettitt, p. 96</ref>