The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra commissioned a report on its activities from the Anschluss with Germany in March 1938 to the end of the War. You can read the reports of three historians, along with memoirs by former players, in a series of documents on the orchestra’s website An English translation is in preparation. READ MORE.
The report confirmed that in 1966 the orchestra reissued its highest award, an Ehrenring (Ring of Honour) to Baldur von Schirach, the former Nazi party governor in Vienna, who had just been released from Spandau prison for crimes against humanity, including the deportation of thousands of Jews to death camps. His original ring issued in 1942 had been taken by an American soldier following the Nazi defeat.
The report unearthed a petition to von Schirach from a prominent Nazi member of the orchestra, Wilhelm Jerger, pleading for him to stop the deportation of the Jewish musicians. Von Schirach ignored the appeal. Today’s report names Helmut Wobisch as the man who handed the re-awarded ring to von Schirach. (Source The Times 11 March 2013)
A rare photo from Lebrecht Music & Arts from 1943 when the Nazis ran Austria shows Von Schirach (far right) at the Burg Theatre in Vienna for the world premiere of Hauptmann’s ‘Iphigenia’ (centre) and Richard Strauss (left).
RARE PUBLIC PERFORMANCE BY IVO POGORELICH at BERLIN PHILHARMONIE, 10th March 2013
Ivo Pogorelich performed a mixed programme of Chopin, Ravel and Debussy with Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. Here photographs from his Paris performance on 1st March 2013. Photographer :Marion Kalter.
BBC Proms Youth Choir performing in Tippett’s ‘A Child of Our Time’ captured by Chris Christodoulou. With David Robertson conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra for the Prom 25 of BBC Proms 2012 last night at Royal Albert Hall in London.
For a full set of images of this show please visit www.lebrecht.co.uk.
© Chris Christodoulou/Lebrecht Music & Arts
PROM 4 – 16 July 2012 – John Adams conducting, pianist Imogen Cooper, Julliard Orchestra and Orchestra of the Royal Academy of Music.
© Chris Christodoulou/Lebrecht Music & Arts
© Chris Christodoulou/Lebrecht Music & Arts
© Chris Christodoulou/Lebrecht Music & Arts
The major events this year are the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by its co-founder and director Daniel Barenboim. They will performing the complete Beethoven Symphony Cycle.
(Daniel Barenboim conducting the West-East Divan Orchestra. © Chris Christodoulou/Lebrecht Music & Arts)
Birthdays celebrated this year will be Oliver Knussen and Simon Bainbridge at 60, and Hugh Wood and Alexander Goehr at 80.
(Oliver Knussen. © Chris Christodoulou/Lebrecht Music & Arts)
(Simon Bainbridge. © T.Martinot/Lebrecht Music & Arts)
(Hugh Wood. © Graham Salter/Lebrecht Music & Arts)
(Alexander Goehr. © Betty Freeman/Lebrecht Music & Arts)
Composer anniversaries for Claude Debussy, John Cage and Frederick Delius will also be marked.
(Claude Debussy, French Composer. © Lebrecht Music & Arts)
Lebrecht photographer Chris Christodoulou will be at all the Proms and we will be transmitting live photographs to all our clients.
( © C. Christodoulou/Lebrecht Music & Arts)
Sakari Oramo , the Finnish conductor, has been appointed new chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and will be conducting it in the 2013 Proms.
Photo by Chris Christodoulou
Lebrecht Music & Arts are attending the Gustavo Dudamel Mahler cycle at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Mahler’s third Symphony was performed on Tuesday 24th January by the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra with incredible verve and passion. The oldest member of the orchestra is 28 years old and this is reflected in the amount of energy that went into the performance. Soloists were world class, in particular the off-stage flugelhorn player. Gustavo Dudamel conducted this very long symphony with great panache.
Tonight (Thursday) Mahler 5 will be performed by the LA Philharmonic Orchestra under the conductorship of Dudamel.
