1249:
20:
194:, one reviewer wrote, "Few conductors have the courage to take this opera slowly enough. Professor Knappertsbusch, however, gave a thoroughly well-balanced interpretation … full of life, full of philosophy and full of charm". The same reviewer observed that Knappertsbusch's experience at Bayreuth before the war had given him an advantage over rival conductors such as
418:
the theatre, and the comfortable feeling that in the theatre you can, as a conductor, take huge risks in the knowledge that if something ends in disaster only a minority of the audience will realise it at all, while the orchestra will know what it was about and will be forgiving. None of this applies to recording, and the resulting inhibitions were too much for him.
385:
It is not often that there is a true bond of affection between an orchestra and a conductor, and especially so in the case of an orchestra with so long and proud a tradition of its own as the Vienna
Philharmonic. The older members still talk with awe about Furtwängler and Richard Strauss. They speak
417:
The truth was that
Knappertsbusch took very badly to recording conditions, and, no matter what we did, the genius which he so certainly revealed in the theatre refused to come alive in the studio. … He needed the smell of greasepaint, and the waft of air from backstage. He needed the uncertainty of
401:
He was the kindest, most modest conductor I have ever worked with. He was unfailingly generous to his colleagues. He would never join the rat race for fame and honour. In the theatre I believe that he was a Wagner conductor of supreme ability. I know why orchestras loved him. I know why we loved
331:
Of all the people who might have had reason to resent my appointment in Munich after the war, there was one who had more reason than anyone else: that was Hans
Knappertsbusch. There was in fact one man who really helped me, in my inexperience: that was Hans Knappertsbusch. He was a father to
301:, London. He was allowed to go on conducting under Nazi rule, although Munich remained closed to him. In Vienna, on 30 June 1944, he conducted the last performance at the old Staatsoper, which was destroyed by bombing hours later. The president of the Vienna Philharmonic recalled:
278:, who had been in power in Germany since 1933, revoked Knappertsbusch's lifetime contract at the State Opera. There were evidently several reasons for this: he refused to join the Nazi Party and was frequently rude about the régime; budgetary constraints meant little to him; and
45:
Knappertsbusch followed the traditional route for an aspiring conductor in
Germany in the early 20th century, starting as a musical assistant and progressing to increasingly senior conducting posts. In 1922, at the age of 34, he was appointed general music director of the
92:
Wiegand. He played the violin as a child, and later the cornet. By the age of 12 he was conducting his high school orchestra. His parents did not approve of his aspirations to a musical career, and he was sent to study philosophy at
386:
with profound respect for the memories of Erich
Kleiber and Clemens Krauss and Bruno Walter. For others, still living, they have mixed feelings ranging from loathing to admiration. But for Hans Knappertsbusch, they had love.
551:
plays down this factor, suggesting that
Knappertsbusch's ideological hostilty to the Nazis was not particularly strong, and ascribing his dismissal more to Nazi complaints about his administration of the opera and to
138:
he served in the German army as a non-combatant musician based in Berlin. In May 1918 he married Ellen Selma
Neuhaus, who also came from Elberfeld. They had one child, Anita (1919–1938). After conducting in
1096:
522:
ever recorded, and one that for various reasons will not easily be surpassed. Nobody today … can match
Knappertsbusch's combination of line and emotional power". In 1951 the Decca team also recorded
320:
After the war there was a widespread desire in Munich for
Knappertsbusch's return, but like the other leading musicians who had worked under the Nazi régime he was subject to a process of
67:
Studio recording did not suit
Knappertsbusch, whose best-known recordings were made live during performances at Bayreuth. He died at the age of 77, following a bad fall the previous year.
177:. In 1925 Knappertsbusch and his wife divorced. The following year he married Marion von Leipzig (1888–1984); this marriage, which was childless, lasted for the rest of his life.
445:, predominated, but also included were works by Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Schubert, Strauss (Johann and family as well as Richard), Tchaikovsky and Weber. Recordings made for
1089:
312:
in more senses than one: it was the end of an era. … everyone had this same feeling. Knappertsbusch conducted, and I think it was one of the greatest performances of his life.
353:: of his 95 appearances at Bayreuth, 55 of them were conducting it. He worked mainly in Germany and Austria, but conducted in Paris from time to time, including a 1956
367:. He returned to the Bavarian State Opera in 1954, and continued to conduct there for the rest of his life. In 1955 he returned to the Vienna State Opera, to conduct
339:
in New York, but continued to appear as a guest artist in Vienna and elsewhere, and became a pillar of the Bayreuth Festival. He conducted the first performances of
1298:
1082:
410:
Knappertsbusch did not take the gramophone as seriously as some of his colleagues did. Although he was praised for such recordings as his 1931 Munich version of
374:
In 1964 Knappertsbusch had a bad fall, from which he never fully recovered. He died on 25 October the following year at the age of 77, and was buried in the
1303:
1283:
398:("rough humanist"). He was capable of ferocious tirades in rehearsal – usually at singers: he got on much better with orchestras. Culshaw wrote of him:
304:
The bombardment of Vienna was beginning. Already in June shells were falling on the outskirts of the city, and every member of the orchestra knew that
1288:
328:
as general music director of the State Opera. Solti, a young Jewish musician who had been in exile in Switzerland during the war, later recalled:
110:
1013:
994:
972:
1069:
349:'s frugal and minimalist productions, but returned to the festival most years for the rest of his life. He was most associated there with
256:, found Knappertsbusch's performances of Mozart lacking in rhythmic precision, but praised his conducting of Wagner, remarking that even
1293:
1308:
446:
1278:
500:
Some of Knappertsbusch's best-received recordings were made during live performances at Bayreuth in the 1950s and 1960s. A
430:
414:("a monument of unfaltering fire", according to one reviewer), he was not at home in the recording studio. Culshaw wrote:
1213:
1065:
454:
411:
485:
466:
462:
434:
1105:
438:
225:
170:
119:
1038:
474:
341:
149:
199:
30:(12 March 1888 – 25 October 1965) was a German conductor, best known for his performances of the music of
282:, who had strong ideas about music, did not like his slow tempi, calling him "that military bandleader".
1033:
514:
202:. He was musically conservative, but conducted the premieres of seven operas during his time at Munich:
587:
567:
233:
1074:
1273:
1268:
217:
174:
98:
47:
1207:
450:
426:
294:
144:
982:
548:
355:
336:
262:
88:, on 12 March 1888, the second son of a manufacturer, Gustav Knappertsbusch, and his wife Julie,
1248:
526:
conducted by Knappertsbusch, but for contractual reasons it could not be published at the time.
883:
1237:
1123:
1009:
990:
968:
940:
898:
298:
290:
286:
241:
123:
55:
827:
1201:
1129:
212:
207:
195:
115:
60:
378:
cemetery in Munich. He was greatly mourned by his colleagues. In 1967, the record producer
108:
He conducted at the MĂĽlheim-Ruhr theatre from 1910 to 1912; more significant, according to
1231:
1141:
651:
505:
181:
135:
102:
94:
39:
1048:
914:
335:
After this Knappertsbusch mostly freelanced. He declined an invitation to conduct at the
180:
Knappertsbusch remained in Munich for eleven years. He invited guest conductors such as
1195:
1171:
573:
493:
481:
458:
422:
364:
346:
321:
257:
185:
35:
31:
285:
During the next nine years, Knappertsbusch worked mostly in Austria conducting at the
1262:
1147:
1117:
508:. Both have remained in the catalogues, and when the 1962 set was transferred to CD,
360:
249:
54:
régime dismissed him. As a freelance he was a frequent guest conductor in Vienna and
169:
for New York in 1922, Knappertsbusch succeeded him as general music director of the
1189:
1159:
1135:
1043:
960:
553:
470:
379:
279:
253:
162:
19:
1061:
425:, Knappertsbusch recorded mostly with the Vienna Philharmonic, but also with the
345:
at the festival's post-war reopening in 1951. He was outspoken in his dislike of
1225:
1219:
1183:
1153:
375:
325:
134:
Knappertsbusch began his career with a conducting post in Elberfeld. During the
632:"Hans Knappertsbusch", Radio Swiss Classic. (In German). Retrieved 29 May 2020
509:
275:
51:
85:
81:
1006:
Settling Scores: German Music, Denazification, and the Americans 1945–1953
944:
902:
1029:
190:
371:
as one of the productions given to mark the re-opening of the theatre.
140:
504:
from 1951 was issued by Decca, and a 1962 performance was recorded by
166:
155:
1053:
18:
1078:
308:
was going to be our final performance in the old house. It was
987:
The Twisted Muse: Musicians and their Music in the Third Reich
897:"Hans Knappertsbusch: the complete RIAS recordings", WorldCat
394:
Knappertsbusch, known familiarly as "Kna", was described as a
260:
could not have produced a more overwhelming performance of
188:, and won high praise for his own conducting. After a 1931
761:, 12 January 1937, p. 10; and "Tannhäuser from Budapest",
658:, Oxford University Press, 2001. Retrieved 29 May 2020
158:, becoming Germany's youngest general music director.
518:, "this is the most moving and satisfying account of
1008:. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
441:. Wagner, including a complete studio recording of
101:, where he studied conducting with the principal,
50:, holding that post for eleven years. In 1936 the
324:, and the occupying American forces appointed
1090:
1062:Newspaper clippings about Hans Knappertsbusch
293:, and continuing a long association with the
8:
591:from that 1951 cycle was published in 1999.
1097:
1083:
1075:
297:. He guest-conducted in Budapest, and at
111:Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians
628:
838:
836:
646:
644:
642:
640:
638:
626:
624:
622:
620:
618:
616:
614:
612:
610:
608:
604:
540:
497:and Viennese dance and operetta music.
1299:20th-century German conductors (music)
830:, Naxos Records. Retrieved 29 May 2020
449:feature Knappertsbusch conducting the
989:. New York: Oxford University Press.
130:Elberfeld, Leipzig, Dessau and Munich
7:
1044:Hans Knappertsbusch concert database
696:Boult, Adrian. "Musical Festivals",
650:Crichton, Ronald and José A. Bowen.
1054:Hans Knappertsbusch Life and Work
114:, were his summers as assistant to
1304:20th-century German male musicians
14:
1284:Musicians from the Rhine Province
97:. From 1908 he also attended the
1247:
967:. London: Secker & Warburg.
252:. A visiting English conductor,
1049:Hans Knappertsbusch discography
1039:Hans Knappertsbusch discography
1289:German male conductors (music)
1:
860:"The Musician's Gramophone",
683:"Wagner Festival at Munich",
530:Notes, references and sources
431:Paris Conservatoire Orchestra
939:"Götterdämmerung", WorldCat
491:). The same forces recorded
453:in symphonies by Beethoven (
412:Beethoven's Seventh Symphony
204:Don Gil von den grĂĽnen Hosen
58:, where his performances of
1106:Bayerisches Staatsorchester
1066:20th Century Press Archives
80:Knappertsbusch was born in
1325:
143:(1918–1919), he succeeded
1294:University of Bonn alumni
1245:
1113:
885:Decca Classical 1929–2009
765:, 16 February 1937, p. 10
700:, 15 September 1928, p. 8
565:Knappertsbusch conducted
435:Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra
1309:Musicians from Wuppertal
888:. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
731:, 25 January 1937, p. 10
439:Suisse Romande Orchestra
171:Bavarian State Orchestra
1108:General Music Directors
660:(subscription required)
571:in Budapest (1937) and
342:Der Ring des Nibelungen
652:"Knappertsbusch, Hans"
24:
1279:People from Elberfeld
1004:Monod, David (2016).
828:"Hans Knappertsbusch"
727:"Salzburg Festival",
687:, 3 August 1931, p. 8
674:, 18 July 1933, p. 12
390:Reputation and legacy
22:
864:, 26 May 1931, p. 10
494:The Nutcracker Suite
218:Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
175:Bavarian State Opera
99:Cologne Conservatory
48:Bavarian State Opera
1208:Wolfgang Sawallisch
1178:Hans Knappertsbusch
1166:Hans Knappertsbusch
1030:Hans Knappertsbusch
915:"Wagner – Parsifal"
670:"Munich Festival",
451:Berlin Philharmonic
427:London Philharmonic
295:Vienna Philharmonic
230:Die geliebte Stimme
200:Wilhelm Furtwängler
64:became celebrated.
28:Hans Knappertsbusch
23:Hans Knappertsbusch
930:Culshaw, pp. 30–31
873:Culshaw, pp. 66–67
808:Culshaw, pp. 26–27
799:in Culshaw, p. 226
787:in Culshaw, p. 156
748:, 16 February 1937
744:" from Budapest",
656:Grove Music Online
356:Tristan und Isolde
337:Metropolitan Opera
263:Tristan und Isolde
234:JaromĂr Weinberger
186:Sir Thomas Beecham
25:
1256:
1255:
1238:Vladimir Jurowski
1015:978-1-4696-3404-3
996:978-0-19-513242-7
974:978-0-436-11800-5
757:"Covent Garden",
577:in London (1937).
443:Die Meistersinger
396:ruppiger Humanist
369:Der Rosenkavalier
291:Salzburg Festival
242:Vittorio Giannini
1316:
1251:
1202:Joseph Keilberth
1099:
1092:
1085:
1076:
1057:
1019:
1000:
978:
947:
937:
931:
928:
922:
911:
905:
895:
889:
882:Stuart, Philip.
880:
874:
871:
865:
858:
852:
849:
843:
840:
831:
826:Patmore, David.
824:
818:
815:
809:
806:
800:
794:
788:
783:Strasser, Otto,
781:
775:
772:
766:
755:
749:
738:
732:
725:
719:
716:
710:
709:Kater, pp. 43–46
707:
701:
694:
688:
681:
675:
668:
662:
661:
648:
633:
630:
592:
584:
578:
563:
557:
547:In a 1996 study
545:
213:Das Himmelskleid
208:Walter Braunfels
196:Arturo Toscanini
153:
116:Siegfried Wagner
16:German conductor
1324:
1323:
1319:
1318:
1317:
1315:
1314:
1313:
1259:
1258:
1257:
1252:
1243:
1232:Kirill Petrenko
1214:Peter Schneider
1142:Richard Strauss
1109:
1103:
1055:
1026:
1016:
1003:
997:
981:
975:
965:Ring Resounding
959:
956:
951:
950:
938:
934:
929:
925:
912:
908:
896:
892:
881:
877:
872:
868:
859:
855:
850:
846:
842:Culshaw, p. 225
841:
834:
825:
821:
816:
812:
807:
803:
795:
791:
782:
778:
773:
769:
756:
752:
739:
735:
726:
722:
717:
713:
708:
704:
695:
691:
682:
678:
669:
665:
659:
649:
636:
631:
606:
601:
596:
595:
588:Götterdämmerung
585:
581:
564:
560:
546:
542:
537:
532:
419:
408:
403:
392:
387:
333:
318:
313:
310:Götterdämmerung
306:Götterdämmerung
272:
182:Richard Strauss
147:
136:First World War
132:
103:Fritz Steinbach
95:Bonn University
78:
73:
71:Life and career
40:Richard Strauss
17:
12:
11:
5:
1322:
1320:
1312:
1311:
1306:
1301:
1296:
1291:
1286:
1281:
1276:
1271:
1261:
1260:
1254:
1253:
1246:
1244:
1242:
1241:
1235:
1229:
1223:
1217:
1211:
1205:
1199:
1196:Ferenc Fricsay
1193:
1187:
1181:
1175:
1172:Clemens Krauss
1169:
1163:
1157:
1151:
1145:
1139:
1133:
1127:
1124:Hans von BĂĽlow
1121:
1114:
1111:
1110:
1104:
1102:
1101:
1094:
1087:
1079:
1073:
1072:
1059:
1051:
1046:
1041:
1036:
1025:
1024:External links
1022:
1021:
1020:
1014:
1001:
995:
983:Kater, Michael
979:
973:
955:
952:
949:
948:
932:
923:
906:
890:
875:
866:
853:
851:Culshaw, p. 67
844:
832:
819:
817:Culshaw, p. 50
810:
801:
789:
776:
767:
750:
733:
720:
711:
702:
689:
676:
663:
634:
603:
602:
600:
597:
594:
593:
579:
558:
539:
538:
536:
533:
531:
528:
416:
407:
404:
400:
391:
388:
384:
347:Wieland Wagner
330:
322:denazification
317:
314:
303:
271:
268:
258:Arthur Nikisch
131:
128:
77:
74:
72:
69:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1321:
1310:
1307:
1305:
1302:
1300:
1297:
1295:
1292:
1290:
1287:
1285:
1282:
1280:
1277:
1275:
1272:
1270:
1267:
1266:
1264:
1250:
1239:
1236:
1233:
1230:
1227:
1224:
1221:
1218:
1215:
1212:
1209:
1206:
1203:
1200:
1197:
1194:
1191:
1188:
1185:
1182:
1179:
1176:
1173:
1170:
1167:
1164:
1161:
1158:
1155:
1152:
1149:
1148:Hermann Zumpe
1146:
1143:
1140:
1137:
1134:
1131:
1130:Franz WĂĽllner
1128:
1125:
1122:
1119:
1118:Franz Lachner
1116:
1115:
1112:
1107:
1100:
1095:
1093:
1088:
1086:
1081:
1080:
1077:
1071:
1067:
1063:
1060:
1058:
1052:
1050:
1047:
1045:
1042:
1040:
1037:
1035:
1031:
1028:
1027:
1023:
1017:
1011:
1007:
1002:
998:
992:
988:
984:
980:
976:
970:
966:
962:
961:Culshaw, John
958:
957:
953:
946:
942:
936:
933:
927:
924:
920:
916:
913:Blyth, Alan.
910:
907:
904:
900:
894:
891:
887:
886:
879:
876:
870:
867:
863:
857:
854:
848:
845:
839:
837:
833:
829:
823:
820:
814:
811:
805:
802:
798:
793:
790:
786:
780:
777:
771:
768:
764:
760:
754:
751:
747:
743:
737:
734:
730:
724:
721:
715:
712:
706:
703:
699:
693:
690:
686:
680:
677:
673:
667:
664:
657:
653:
647:
645:
643:
641:
639:
635:
629:
627:
625:
623:
621:
619:
617:
615:
613:
611:
609:
605:
598:
590:
589:
583:
580:
576:
575:
570:
569:
562:
559:
555:
550:
549:Michael Kater
544:
541:
534:
529:
527:
525:
521:
517:
516:
511:
507:
503:
498:
496:
495:
490:
489:
483:
479:
478:
472:
468:
464:
460:
456:
452:
448:
444:
440:
436:
432:
428:
424:
415:
413:
405:
399:
397:
389:
383:
381:
377:
372:
370:
366:
362:
361:Astrid Varnay
358:
357:
352:
348:
344:
343:
338:
329:
327:
323:
315:
311:
307:
302:
300:
299:Covent Garden
296:
292:
288:
283:
281:
277:
269:
267:
265:
264:
259:
255:
251:
250:Hans Pfitzner
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
227:
226:Albert Coates
223:
219:
215:
214:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
192:
187:
183:
178:
176:
172:
168:
164:
159:
157:
151:
146:
145:Franz Mikorey
142:
137:
129:
127:
125:
121:
117:
113:
112:
106:
104:
100:
96:
91:
87:
83:
75:
70:
68:
65:
63:
62:
57:
53:
49:
43:
41:
37:
33:
29:
21:
1190:Rudolf Kempe
1177:
1165:
1160:Bruno Walter
1136:Hermann Levi
1005:
986:
964:
935:
926:
918:
909:
893:
884:
878:
869:
861:
856:
847:
822:
813:
804:
796:
792:
784:
779:
774:Monod, p. 62
770:
762:
758:
753:
745:
741:
736:
728:
723:
718:Kater, p. 45
714:
705:
697:
692:
684:
679:
671:
666:
655:
586:
582:
572:
566:
561:
554:Adolf Hitler
543:
523:
519:
513:
501:
499:
492:
487:
476:
442:
420:
409:
395:
393:
380:John Culshaw
373:
368:
354:
350:
340:
334:
319:
309:
305:
284:
280:Adolf Hitler
274:In 1936 the
273:
270:1936 to 1945
261:
254:Adrian Boult
245:
237:
229:
222:Samuel Pepys
221:
211:
203:
189:
179:
163:Bruno Walter
160:
133:
120:Hans Richter
109:
107:
89:
79:
66:
59:
44:
27:
26:
1274:1965 deaths
1269:1888 births
1226:Kent Nagano
1220:Zubin Mehta
1184:Georg Solti
1154:Felix Mottl
1056:(in German)
921:, June 1986
556:'s dislike.
376:Bogenhausen
326:Georg Solti
154:in 1919 at
148: [
76:Early years
1263:Categories
919:Gramophone
742:TannhaĂĽser
599:References
568:Tannhäuser
515:Gramophone
510:Alan Blyth
488:Unfinished
406:Recordings
287:Staatsoper
84:, today's
945:841929296
903:874139648
862:The Times
763:The Times
759:The Times
746:The Times
729:The Times
698:The Times
685:The Times
672:The Times
512:wrote in
86:Wuppertal
82:Elberfeld
1034:AllMusic
985:(1999).
963:(1967).
524:The Ring
520:Parsifal
502:Parsifal
482:Schubert
477:Surprise
459:Bruckner
437:and the
351:Parsifal
316:Post-war
289:and the
246:Das Herz
191:Parsifal
173:and the
124:Bayreuth
61:Parsifal
56:Bayreuth
36:Bruckner
1068:of the
1064:in the
954:Sources
506:Philips
480:), and
382:wrote:
363:at the
238:Lucedia
141:Leipzig
1240:(2021)
1234:(2013)
1228:(2006)
1222:(1998)
1216:(1992)
1210:(1971)
1204:(1959)
1198:(1956)
1192:(1952)
1186:(1946)
1180:(1945)
1174:(1937)
1168:(1922)
1162:(1913)
1156:(1904)
1150:(1901)
1144:(1894)
1138:(1872)
1132:(1870)
1126:(1867)
1120:(1836)
1012:
993:
971:
943:
901:
797:Quoted
785:quoted
574:Salome
433:, the
429:, the
244:, and
167:Munich
156:Dessau
32:Wagner
535:Notes
471:Haydn
467:No. 9
463:No. 8
455:No. 8
423:Decca
365:Opéra
359:with
276:Nazis
165:left
161:When
152:]
1010:ISBN
991:ISBN
969:ISBN
941:OCLC
899:OCLC
486:The
475:The
465:and
447:RIAS
421:For
402:him.
332:me."
198:and
184:and
118:and
52:Nazi
38:and
1070:ZBW
1032:at
469:),
457:),
248:by
240:by
232:by
224:by
216:by
206:by
122:at
90:née
1265::
917:,
835:^
654:,
637:^
607:^
266:.
236:,
228:,
220:,
210:,
150:de
126:.
105:.
42:.
34:,
1098:e
1091:t
1084:v
1018:.
999:.
977:.
740:"
484:(
473:(
461:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
