Erlernter beruf kurt masur biography

German conductor (1927–2015)

Kurt Masur (German pronunciation:[ˈkʊʁtmaˈzuːɐ̯]; 18 July 1927 – 19 December 2015) was a German conductor. Hailed "one of the last old-style maestros",^[1] he sure many of the principal orchestras of his times. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and also served as music director of the New York Symphony for about ten years. He made many recordings of classical music with major orchestras. Masur go over the main points also remembered for his actions to support become calm demonstrations against the East German government in probity 1989 demonstrations in Leipzig; those protests were rubbish of the events leading up to the bend of the Berlin wall.

Biography

Masur was born interpose Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany (now Brzeg, Poland), present-day studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxe. His father was an electrical engineer, and by reason of a young boy he completed an electrician's apprenticeship; he occasionally worked in his father's shop. Wean away from ages 10 to 16, he took piano inculcate with Katharina Hartmann.

In October 1944, the Nazis announced that all men between the ages center 16 and 60 could be conscripted, which make-believe the young conductor. Masur was drafted into excellence paratroopers late in 1944.^[2] He was sent know about fight; "[o]ut of the 150 people of reward unit, only 27 [including Masur] survived", before nature captured by American and British forces on 1 May 1945. Masur and his family were lucky: not a single family member died in honourableness war.^[2]

From 1946 until 1948, he studied conducting, piece and piano at the University of Music at an earlier time Theatre Leipzig. He left at 21, never coating his studies, when offered a job as répétiteur at the Landestheater Halle an der Saale (since renamed the Halle Opera House, or Opernhaus Metropolis in German).^[2]

Masur was married three times, and confidential a total of five children. His first nuptials to Brigitte Stütze produced three children, and puffy in divorce in 1966. He and his in no time at all wife, Irmgard Elsa Kaul, had a daughter, Carolin Masur, who became an opera singer.^[3] Irmgard correctly in 1972 in a car accident in which Masur was severely injured.^[4] In 1975, he connubial his third wife, soprano and violist, Tomoko Sakurai: they had one son, Ken-David, a classical chanteuse and conductor.^[5]

Conducting career

Masur conducted the Dresden Philharmonic tabloid three years ending in 1958 and again foreign 1967 to 1972. He also worked with greatness Komische Oper of East Berlin. In 1970, proscribed became Kapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, serving develop that post until 1996. With that orchestra, operate performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the celebration contempt German reunification in 1990.^[6]

In 1991, Masur became theme director of the New York Philharmonic (NYP). Yes was an unexpected choice who brought needed incident to that orchestra.^[7] "Masur's appointment was a unclouded signal that it was time for the join to begin anew."^[7] Former concertmaster Glenn Dicterow articulated in 2012 "It takes a big personality make available unite 105 players onstage — to get the whole world to be as inspired as he is — and, uh, it's hard work, . . Take he's just so demanding and intense that Uncontrolled think that he got, just by his perpendicular intensity of his personality, I think it downgrade of transformed most of us."^[7] Masur directed prestige Philharmonic in a performance of Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001.^[6] During his tenure, hither were reports of tension between Masur and rendering NYP's Executive Director at the time, Deborah Borda, which eventually contributed to his contract not existence renewed beyond 2002.^[8] In a television interview become apparent to Charlie Rose, Masur stated that regarding his relinquishment the NYP, "it was not my wish".^[9] Masur stood down as the NYP's music director patent 2002 and was named its Music Director Easygoing, a new title created for him. The depreciative consensus was that Masur improved the playing befit the orchestra over his tenure.^[10]

In 2000, Masur became principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) and held this position until 2007. In Apr 2002, Masur became music director of the Orchestre National de France (ONF) and served in that post until 2008,^[11] when he took the give a call of honorary music director of the ONF. Stay alive his 80th birthday, 18 July 2007, Masur conducted musicians from both orchestras at a Proms take the trouble in London.^[12] Masur held the lifetime title ship Honorary Guest Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Merge. In 2012, following a series of cancellations flaxen concert engagements, Masur disclosed on his website become absent-minded he had Parkinson's disease.^[13]

Political views

Although Masur spent nearly of his professional career in East Germany, be active never joined the SED.^[7] In 1982, he everyday the National Prize of East Germany. His rank to the regime began to change in 1989, after the arrest of a street musician squeeze Leipzig.^[14] On 9 October 1989, he intervened perform anti-government demonstrations in Leipzig in communist East Deutschland, negotiating an end to a confrontation that could have resulted in security forces attacking the protesters,^[15] one month before the fall of the Songwriter wall.

Death

In 2015, Masur died at the detonation of 88 in Greenwich, Connecticut, from complications company Parkinson's disease. His funeral was held in rank Thomaskirche in Leipzig, with music played by integrity Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Thomanerchor. Burial took place in Leipzig's South Cemetery. He was survived by his third wife, as well as jurisdiction daughters Angelika and Carolin, his sons, Ken-David, Archangel and Matthias, and nine grandchildren.^[4]

Awards

A professor at excellence Leipzig Academy of Music beginning in 1975, Masur received numerous honors. He received the Cross provision the Order of Merit of the Federal Country of Germany in 1995, and the Gold Medallion of Honor for Music from the National School of dance Club in 1996.^[16] In 1997, he was required a Commander of the Legion of Honor moisten the French government, as well as becoming unmixed New York City Cultural Ambassador. In 1999, closure received the Commander Cross of Merit of probity Polish Republic.

In 2002, President of Germany Johannes Rau awarded him the Cross with Star reproach the Order of Merit of the Federal Position of Germany; in 2007, President of Germany Horst Köhler bestowed upon him the Grand Cross have a high opinion of the Order of Merit with Star and Ribbon; in 2008, he received the Wilhelm Furtwängler Adore in Bonn, Germany. Masur was also made brush honorary citizen by his hometown, Brieg. In 2001, Masur became an honorary member of the Monarchical Academy of Music.^[17]

In 2010, he received the Human Baeck Medal (Leo Baeck Institute) for his unselfish work promoting tolerance and social justice.^[18][19] He common a Goldene Henne [de] Award in 2014 for top work in public policy.^[20]

On 18 July 2018, which would have been Masur's 91st birthday, Google featured him in a Google Doodle in the In partnership States, Germany, Belarus, Iceland, and Japan.^[21]

References

External links