Gerd Albrecht has died

[edashtav]

Gerd Albrecht, the German conductor, has died, aged 78. I suppose his heyday was in the 1980s in the Hamburg State Opera House. Then for a short while, he became the first foreign conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1990s - but that wasn't a match made in heaven. I have hazy memories of some of his work, e.g. "early" performance of Mahler symphonies and some first performances of contemporary scores (Penderecki ?).

We seem to have lost a deal of conductors this winter. Do other Boarders have clearer memories of Albrecht's contribution ?

[Roehre]

Gerd Albrecht will for me always in my memory because a matinee concert conducted by him was the very first I attended after entering university in 1974. And a memorable concert it was: programmed were all 4 Leonore/Fidelio overtures spread over the afternoon, 2 of them (I & II) were unknown to me at that time.
Don't ask me what the rest of the programme was, but these performances have stuck in my mind ever since.

RIP Gerd Albrecht

[visualnickmos]

Ashamed to say, I've never actually heard of him...

[jayne lee wilson]

When I was obsessed with Hindemith last year I noted Gerd Albrecht's recordings in the Wergo Edition covered much unfamiliar ground, notably an excellent Cardillac in very good sound... a very quick shelf-tour (long day & need to eat sometime...) turned up a rather good Koch disc of Schreker's Birthday of the Infanta with the Berlin RSO...

[bluestateprommer]

The NYT has this obituary on Gerd Albrecht:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/arts/music/gerd-albrecht-volatile-conductor-is-dead-at-78.html

I had no idea of the dirt regarding the Vatican and the Czech Philharmonic. But given that apparently Gilbert Levine was asked to lead the Czech Phil for Pope John Paul II, I can understand why Albrecht might have been incensed. From talking with one US orchestral musician who's worked with Gilbert Levine, GL is apparently lame in the extreme as a conductor.

I did remember Albrecht denouncing the Iraq invasion at the time, and getting roasted for that. The price of being on the right side of history, it seems.