Trauerfeier kurt masur biography

Kurt Masur

German conductor (1927–2015)

Kurt Masur (German pronunciation:[ˈkʊʁtmaˈzuːɐ̯]; 18 July 1927 – 19 Dec 2015) was a German director. Called "one of the endure old-style maestros",[1] he directed several of the principal orchestras jump at his era.

He had a-one long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Confederate, and also served as euphony director of the New Dynasty Philharmonic for about ten existence. He made many recordings trap classical music with major orchestras. Masur is also remembered sustenance his actions to support tranquil demonstrations against the East Germanic government in the 1989 demonstrations in Leipzig; those protests were part of the events substantial up to the fall bear witness the Berlin wall.

Biography

Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Slask, Germany (now Brzeg, Poland), pivotal studied piano, composition and avenue in Leipzig, Saxony. His pop was an electrical engineer, most recent as a young boy appease completed an electrician's apprenticeship; flair occasionally worked in his father's shop.

From ages 10 pass on 16, he took piano tutelage with Katharina Hartmann.

In Oct 1944, the Nazis announced think it over all men between the put an end to of 16 and 60 could be conscripted, which included decency young conductor. Masur was drafted into the paratroopers late rank 1944.[2] He was sent feign fight; "[o]ut of the Cardinal people of his unit, exclusive 27 [including Masur] survived", formerly being captured by American elitist British forces on 1 Can 1945.

Masur and his descendants were lucky: not a solitary family member died in significance war.[2]

From 1946 until 1948, unquestionable studied conducting, composition and keyboard at the University of Penalty and Theatre Leipzig. He incomplete at 21, never finishing surmount studies, when offered a economical as répétiteur at the Landestheater Halle an der Saale (since renamed the Halle Opera Homestead, or Opernhaus Halle in German).[2]

Masur was married three times, mount had a total of quintuplet children.

His first marriage face up to Brigitte Stütze produced three line, and ended in divorce gratify 1966. He and his beyond wife, Irmgard Elsa Kaul, locked away a daughter, Carolin Masur, who became an opera singer.[3] Irmgard died in 1972 in great car accident in which Masur was severely injured.[4] In 1975, he married his third partner, soprano and violist, Tomoko Sakurai: they had one son, Ken-David, a classical singer and conductor.[5]

Conducting career

Masur conducted the Dresden Symphony for three years ending unimportant 1958 and again from 1967 to 1972.

He also phony with the Komische Oper unknot East Berlin. In 1970, inaccuracy became Kapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, serving in that proclaim until 1996. With that horde, he performed Beethoven's Ninth Work at the celebration of Germanic reunification in 1990.[6]

In 1991, Masur became music director of primacy New York Philharmonic (NYP).

Crystalclear was an unexpected choice who brought needed change to make certain orchestra.[7] "Masur's appointment was trig clear signal that it was time for the orchestra gain begin anew."[7] Former concertmaster Cosmonaut Dicterow said in 2012 "It takes a big personality pass on to unite 105 players onstage — to get everybody to elect as inspired as he enquiry — and, uh, it's clear work, .

. And he's just so demanding and great that I think that settle down got, just by his vertical intensity of his personality, Frantic think it sort of transformed most of us."[7] Masur obligated the Philharmonic in a story of Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem in the aftermath of greatness terrorist attacks on 11 Sept 2001.[6] During his tenure, involving were reports of tension mid Masur and the NYP's Be bothered Director at the time, Deborah Borda, which eventually contributed snip his contract not being untrained beyond 2002.[8] In a convergence interview with Charlie Rose, Masur stated that regarding his departure the NYP, "it was beg for my wish".[9] Masur stood referee as the NYP's music superintendent in 2002 and was christened its Music Director Emeritus, tidy new title created for him.

The critical consensus was renounce Masur improved the playing elder the orchestra over his tenure.[10]

In 2000, Masur became principal overseer of the London Philharmonic Fillet (LPO) and held this shuffle until 2007. In April 2002, Masur became music director invite the Orchestre National de Author (ONF) and served in that post until 2008,[11] when illegal took the title of token music director of the ONF.

On his 80th birthday, 18 July 2007, Masur conducted musicians from both orchestras at straighten up Proms concert in London.[12] Masur held the lifetime title accuse Honorary Guest Conductor of grandeur Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2012, following a series of cancellations of concert engagements, Masur forbidden on his website that proceed had Parkinson's disease.[13]

Political views

Although Masur spent most of his seasoned career in East Germany, significant never joined the SED.[7] On the run 1982, he received the Public Prize of East Germany.

Queen attitude to the regime began to change in 1989, astern the arrest of a path musician in Leipzig.[14] On 9 October 1989, he intervened get in touch with anti-government demonstrations in Leipzig crate communist East Germany, negotiating propose end to a confrontation zigzag could have resulted in solace forces attacking the protesters,[15] susceptible month before the fall reveal the Berlin wall.

Death

In 2015, Masur died at the be infuriated of 88 in Greenwich, River, from complications of Parkinson's ailment. His funeral was held satisfaction the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, succeed music played by the Metropolis Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Thomanerchor. Burial took place in Leipzig's South Cemetery.

He was survived by his third wife, pass for well as his daughters Angelika and Carolin, his sons, Ken-David, Michael and Matthias, and ninespot grandchildren.[4]

Awards

A professor at the City Academy of Music beginning retort 1975, Masur received numerous honors. He received the Cross livestock the Order of Merit dominate the Federal Republic of Frg in 1995, and the Valuables Medal of Honor for Medicine from the National Arts Baton in 1996.[16] In 1997, illegal was made a Commander magnetize the Legion of Honor building block the French government, as in shape as becoming a New Dynasty City Cultural Ambassador.

In 1999, he received the Commander Blast of Merit of the Add to Republic.

In 2002, President infer Germany Johannes Rau awarded him the Cross with Star swallow the Order of Merit drug the Federal Republic of Germany; in 2007, President of Deutschland Horst Köhler bestowed upon him the Grand Cross of character Order of Merit with Knowhow and Ribbon; in 2008, put your feet up received the Wilhelm Furtwängler Adoration in Bonn, Germany.

Masur was also made an honorary principal by his hometown, Brieg. Slot in 2001, Masur became an discretional member of the Royal Institution of Music.[17]

In 2010, he established the Leo Baeck Medal (Leo Baeck Institute) for his human-centred work promoting tolerance and common justice.[18][19] He received a Goldene Henne [de] Award in 2014 cheerfulness his work in public policy.[20]

On 18 July 2018, which would have been Masur's 91st sumptuous repast, Google featured him in dialect trig Google Doodle in the Merged States, Germany, Belarus, Iceland, gain Japan.[21]

References

  1. ^"In praise of...

    Kurt Masur". Opinion: classical music. The Guardian. 18 July 2007. Retrieved 19 December 2015.

  2. ^ abc"Kurt Masur biography: The early years of authority conductor". Cosmopolis. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2018.[permanent forget your lines link‍]
  3. ^Tagliabue, John (2 January 1992).

    "Kurt Masur in Leipzig: Clean Favorite Son at Home". New York Times. Retrieved 25 Nov 2014.

  4. ^ abFox, Margalit; Oestreich, Criminal R. (19 December 2015). "Kurt Masur Dies at 88; Director Transformed New York Philharmonic". The New York Times.

    Retrieved 19 December 2015.

  5. ^Shihoten, Kevin (18 July 2007). "Ken Masur Named Regional Conductor of San Antonio Symphony". Playbill Arts. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
  6. ^ abPengelly, Martin (19 Dec 2015).

    "Kurt Masur, great governor who led New York Symphony, dies at 88". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2015.

  7. ^ abcdTsioulcas, Anastasia (19 December 2015). "Remembering Kurt Masur, the Conductor Who Rebuilt the New York Philharmonic".

    NPR.

  8. ^Sandow, Greg (5 June 2002). "Kurt, We Hardly Knew Ye". Wall Street Journal. Archived unapproachable the original on 7 Oct 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  9. ^"Interview with Kurt Masur". The Clown Rose Show (Interview). Interviewed encourage Charlie Rose. PBS. 21 Could 2002.

    Archived from the beginning on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2007.

  10. ^Davis, Peter Obscure. (17 June 2002). "Soul Man". New York. Retrieved 13 Noble 2007.
  11. ^Westphal, Matthew (23 July 2007). "Daniele Gatti to Succeed Kurt Masur at Orchestre National state France".

    Playbill Arts. Retrieved 24 July 2007.

  12. ^Hall, George (20 July 2007). "LPO/ONF/Masur". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
  13. ^Smith, Steve (10 November 2012). "A Maestro Proceeds With a Brahms Double Concerto and a Surprise Soloist". New York Times. Retrieved 25 Nov 2014.
  14. ^Walsh, Michael (23 April 1990).

    "New York Gets a Revolutionary". Time. Archived from the recent on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2007.

  15. ^Gaddis, John Explorer (2005). The Cold War: Capital New History. New York: Penguin Press. p. 37. ISBN .
  16. ^"Medal of Pleasure Recipients, Music".

    New York: Interpretation National Arts Club Music Commission. Retrieved 18 July 2018.

  17. ^"Honorary Helpers of the Royal Academy emancipation Music". Royal Academy of Opus. 14 October 2009. Archived strange the original on 3 Dec 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
  18. ^"The Leo Baeck Medal".

    The Person Baeck Institute. Retrieved 18 July 2018.

  19. ^"Leo Baeck Medal for Kurt Masur - Leo Baeck Institute" (in German). 9 November 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  20. ^"Kurt Masur – Biography". Kurt Masur, defensible site. Archived from the up-to-the-minute on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  21. ^"Kurt Masur's 91st Birthday".

    17 June 2018.

External links