September 16, 2019.Walter.We just missed the birthday of Bruno Walter, one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century.Walter lived a long life: in his youth, he assisted Gustav Mahler, whose work he later helped to establish as the standard orchestral repertory; his last live concert was with Van Cliburn.Few people have influenced the world of music more than him.Walter was born Bruno Schlesinger in Berlin on September 15th of 1876 into a middle-class Jewish family.He initially studied the piano, but, after hearing Hans von Bülow lead an orchestra, decided to switch to conducting.From 1894 to 1896 he worked in Hamburg, assisting Mahler, who was then the chief conductor at the Hamburg State Opera.Mahler’s influence on Walter was enormous, but the composer also valued the talent of his assistant and in 1896 helped him to find a conducting position at the opera theater in Breslau, Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland).The theater director requested that the young conductor changes his name (Schlesinger means “Silesian” in German); eventually, the name Walter was selected.In 1901, after working in several cities, Walter accepted Mahler’s invitation to come to Vienna, were Mahler held the position of the Director of the Hofoper.Walter stayed in Vienna till 1912, two years past Mahler’s death.He gave the premieres of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (in 1911) and Ninth Symphony (in 1912).From 1913 till 1922 Walter lived in Munich, were he was appointed the General Music Director.He conducted a lot of Wagner (Bayreuth was suspended during that time) and, in addition to the standard classical repertoire, some contemporary music.
During that time, he toured Europe, guest-conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, and made his New York debut.He also conducted at the Salzburg Festival and was appointed the Music Director of Städtische Oper (now, Deutsche Oper) Berlin.His work in Paris and London opera theaters was very well received.From 1929 to 1933 Walter was the conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig but he had to resign when the Nazis came to power and returned to Austria.He made a number of excellent recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic (of Mahler and Wagner in particular) and for two years (1936 – 1938) was the music director of the State Opera, the position Mahler held in the 1900s.Walter left Austria after the Anschluss and moved to the United Stated in 1939.
He was already 63 when he arrived in the US.He moved to Beverly Hills, CA, where many German exiles had settled, Schoenber, Klemperer and Thomas Mann among them.He was invited by many major American orchestras, conducting the New York Philharmonic (he was the music director, or “advisor,” as he called it, in 1947-49; he made a number of memorable recordings there), the Chicago Symphony, LA Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra.In 1941 he made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera and conducted there, occasionally, till 1959.He returned to Europe many times, and made a number of recordings, for example, the excellent Das Lied von der Erde with Kathleen Ferrier and Julius Patzak and the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra.Bruno Walter died in his home in Beverly Hills on February 17th of 1962. Here is a section from one of the last recordings Walter made: Der Abschied (The Farewell), the 6th movement of Das Lied von der Erde.Mildred Miller is the mezzo-soprano, and Ernst Haefliger is the tenor.Bruno Walter conducts the New York Philharmonic; the recording was made in 1960 when Walter was 84.
Bruno Walter, 2019
September 16, 2019. Walter. We just missed the birthday of Bruno Walter, one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century. Walter lived a long life: in his youth, he assisted Gustav Mahler,
whose work he later helped to establish as the standard orchestral repertory; his last live concert was with Van Cliburn. Few people have influenced the world of music more than him. Walter was born Bruno Schlesinger in Berlin on September 15th of 1876 into a middle-class Jewish family. He initially studied the piano, but, after hearing Hans von Bülow lead an orchestra, decided to switch to conducting. From 1894 to 1896 he worked in Hamburg, assisting Mahler, who was then the chief conductor at the Hamburg State Opera. Mahler’s influence on Walter was enormous, but the composer also valued the talent of his assistant and in 1896 helped him to find a conducting position at the opera theater in Breslau, Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland). The theater director requested that the young conductor changes his name (Schlesinger means “Silesian” in German); eventually, the name Walter was selected. In 1901, after working in several cities, Walter accepted Mahler’s invitation to come to Vienna, were Mahler held the position of the Director of the Hofoper. Walter stayed in Vienna till 1912, two years past Mahler’s death. He gave the premieres of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (in 1911) and Ninth Symphony (in 1912). From 1913 till 1922 Walter lived in Munich, were he was appointed the General Music Director. He conducted a lot of Wagner (Bayreuth was suspended during that time) and, in addition to the standard classical repertoire, some contemporary music.
During that time, he toured Europe, guest-conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, and made his New York debut. He also conducted at the Salzburg Festival and was appointed the Music Director of Städtische Oper (now, Deutsche Oper) Berlin. His work in Paris and London opera theaters was very well received. From 1929 to 1933 Walter was the conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig but he had to resign when the Nazis came to power and returned to Austria. He made a number of excellent recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic (of Mahler and Wagner in particular) and for two years (1936 – 1938) was the music director of the State Opera, the position Mahler held in the 1900s. Walter left Austria after the Anschluss and moved to the United Stated in 1939.
He was already 63 when he arrived in the US. He moved to Beverly Hills, CA, where many German exiles had settled, Schoenber, Klemperer and Thomas Mann among them. He was invited by many major American orchestras, conducting the New York Philharmonic (he was the music director, or “advisor,” as he called it, in 1947-49; he made a number of memorable recordings there), the Chicago Symphony, LA Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1941 he made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera and conducted there, occasionally, till 1959. He returned to Europe many times, and made a number of recordings, for example, the excellent Das Lied von der Erde with Kathleen Ferrier and Julius Patzak and the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. Bruno Walter died in his home in Beverly Hills on February 17th of 1962. Here is a section from one of the last recordings Walter made: Der Abschied (The Farewell), the 6th movement of Das Lied von der Erde. Mildred Miller is the mezzo-soprano, and Ernst Haefliger is the tenor. Bruno Walter conducts the New York Philharmonic; the recording was made in 1960 when Walter was 84.