Bernhard Klee

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Bernhard Klee (born April 19, 1936 in Schleiz ) is a German conductor and pianist . As an orchestra conductor, he achieved international renown.

After he became general music director in Lübeck at the age of 29, engagements led him to symphonic orchestras, so he was chief conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hanover (1976–1979 and 1991–1995) and the German State Philharmonic Rhineland-Palatinate in Ludwigshafen (1992–1997) . From 1977 to 1987 he worked as general music director in Düsseldorf . From the 1970s he was a permanent guest conductor with the British BBC , most recently he was a guest at the Philharmonic State Orchestra in Halle .

Klee is considered a recognized Mozart interpreter, whose recordings have been awarded the German Record Prize and the Vienna Flute Clock . In addition, he made a contribution to the performance of modern and contemporary music , u. a. he premiered works by Hans Werner Henze ( Ode to an Aeolian harp ) and Sofia Gubaidulina ( fairy tale poem ).

Life

Origin and studies

Leipzig Thomanerchor (1953)

Bernhard Klee was born in Schleiz, Thuringia , in 1936 and grew up in Jena .

Klee learned the piano, violin and double bass and was a member of the Leipzig Thomanerchor from 1948 to 1955 under Thomaskantor Günther Ramin , most recently as prefect . At the age of ten he heard his first Mozart opera ( Le nozze di Figaro ), which would shape him from then on. After graduating from the Thomas School in Leipzig in 1955, he studied at the State University of Music in Cologne , where Günter Wand (orchestral direction), Else Schmitz-Gohr (piano) and Maurits Frank (chamber music) were among his teachers. He later emphasized that it was above all Fritz Stiedry who had prepared him for the profession of conductor.

Professional beginnings

In 1957 he began his career as a répétiteur at the Städtische Bühnen Köln , whose general music director was Otto Ackermann . In 1958 he moved to the City Theater in Bern . The Cologne general music director Wolfgang Sawallisch brought him back to the Rhine and made him his assistant. Klee made his conductor debut in 1960 in the opera Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ; the soloists at the time were Elisabeth Grümmer , Edith Mathis , Fritz Wunderlich and Franz Crass .

He then went through his first positions as Kapellmeister at the theaters in Salzburg (1962/63), Oberhausen (1963-1965) and Hanover (1965/66).

General music director in Lübeck

From 1966 to 1973 he succeeded Gerd Albrecht as general music director in Lübeck . After Klaus Matthias , who described him as “a gifted Mozart conductor”, he devoted himself to the music of Haydn and Mozart, but also Beethoven and Brahms for the first time in Lübeck . In addition, he continued the Bruckner maintenance every two years and took up the symphonies of Gustav Mahler again . He also designed a Siberlius cycle. Accordingly, he “did justice to the historically based orientation of Lübeck towards Scandinavia,” as Matthias emphasized. He also had other representatives of Romanticism and Classical Modernism, such as Igor Stravinsky , Béla Bartók and Dmitri Shostakovich play. Last but not least, he paid attention to previously neglected baroque and pre-classical composers, which Matthias traced back to his time in St. Thomas. His wife, the well-known soprano Edith Mathis, also performed repeatedly in Lübeck concerts. From 1967 onwards Klee established preliminary concerts and later introductions to modern pieces by Karl Amadeus Hartmann and Wolfgang Fortner . His concert series “Musik der Zeit” showed “ avant-garde approaches that are so obviously rejected by the audience and cannot last”. He also campaigned for children's concerts. In 1973 he broke prematurely from his obligations in Lübeck "with courageous intellectual independence".

Guest conductor and international breakthrough

In 1968 he made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra , with which he would appear repeatedly during Karajan's and Abbado's tenure . After his debut in 1979 with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra , he was a regular guest in the 1980s at its symphony concerts in the Berlin Philharmonic and in the Haus des Rundfunks .

London Royal Albert Hall (1986)

A guest performance by the Hamburg State Opera took him to the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland in 1969 with Wagner's The Flying Dutchman . In 1971/72 he was guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London, where he worked with Pierre Boulez . At the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in London in the 1970s, he conducted the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO / 1973, 1975) in addition to the BBC Symphony Orchestra (1972 ). In an interview, he said that of the three London orchestras with which he worked regularly, he felt particularly attached to the LSO. He made his debut at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in 1972 with the resumption of Mozart's Così fan tutte . While still in Düsseldorf in 1985, Klee became the first guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Manchester, where he worked until 1989. With this he appeared regularly at the Proms from the mid-1980s. In 1991 he gave his last Proms concert.

In 1973 he appeared for the first time at the Salzburg Festival , where he interpreted Mozart's works with the Mozarteum Orchestra and Robert Kern (bass) and Alexander Jenner (piano). Further appearances in Salzburg were to follow, around 1979 with the Vienna Philharmonic when Karajan gave him three performances of the Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro . In 1975 he made his conducting debut at the Wiener Musikverein , where he was to appear repeatedly with the Vienna Symphony and the Stockholm Philharmonic .

It also took him to Munich, where he conducted works by Hartmann and Henze in the 1973/74 musica viva concert season. Karl Heinz Ruppel praised him in the Süddeutsche Zeitung for his precise conducting. Further appearances with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks followed a. a. at the Mozart Festival in Würzburg . Joachim Kaiser was impressed by Klee's performance at the 9th Radio Symphony Orchestra concert in the Herkulessaal in 1976, which made him “a conductor of class”. During the interim period between Rudolf Kempe and Sergiu Celibidache , Klee was then one of the guest conductors with the Munich Philharmonic . On the occasion of his first Munich Opera Festival in 1979, he directed the premiere of Mozart's La finta giardiniera in the Cuvilliés Theater ; the staging was done by Ferruccio Soleri .

After Daniel Barenboim prematurely withdrew from his engagement with the New York Philharmonic in the 1973/74 season as a result of an orchestra strike , Klee made his US debut here at Avery Fisher Hall . Harold C. Schonberg of the New York Times rated his performance of the works of Weber , Hartmann and Mahler as rock-solid, but not very imaginative, although the program also contradicted him. Klee was subsequently invited to other major US orchestras (Washington, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, etc.). With the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra he made repeated appearances in the Heinz Hall in the 1990s .

In 1992 he made his debut with the Dutch Concertgebouw Orchestra with Mozart, Schumann and Dvořák .

For Wolf-Eberhard von Lewinski (1976) he is “a musical as well as intelligent conductor, a precise worker and a confident designer”. He attested that he had an understanding of Mozart and Mahler as well as modernism.

Chief Conductor in Hanover, Düsseldorf and Ludwigshafen

After the death of Willy Steiner , Klee took over from 1976 to 1979 and again from 1991 as chief conductor of the orchestra of the station Hannover (from 1980 radio orchestra ). Through him, "the orchestra received decisive artistic impulses that led to its high reputation and made it known nationwide," said Günter Katzenberger and Hans-Olaf Meyer-Grotjahn .

While he was still active in Hanover, he led the Düsseldorf Symphony from 1977 to 1987, succeeding Willem van Otterloo . He placed a focus on the New Vienna School ( Schönberg , Webern and Berg ), as his inaugural concert already suggested. He was also responsible for the premieres of works by Ravel , Stravinsky, Bartok and Busoni in Düsseldorf . He also integrated the music of Olivier Messiaen , Karol Szymanowski and Henryk Czyż . The Düsseldorfer Musikverein was challenged with the offer of new music . The highlight in this respect was the interpretation of Denisov's Requiem , which was performed in 1985 in the presence of the composer and the Soviet ambassador Vladimir Semjonow . Klee also set accents with Alexander Scriabin and Franz Schreker , but also with composers from the second half of the 20th century ( Boulez , Ligeti , Maderna , Penderecki ). During Klee's tenure, composers such as Lutosławski , Holliger and Zender conducted their own pieces in Düsseldorf. Contemporary compositions by Baird , Henze and Kotoński were also performed. Klee also campaigned for composers from Düsseldorf such as Günther Becker , Oskar Gottlieb Blarr and Jürg Baur . After the opening of the new Tonhalle Düsseldorf in 1978, he also had chamber music works performed there. This program design was a novelty in Düsseldorf since Heinrich Hollreiser . The music editor Hans Winking (1985) counted him among the “most prominent German conductors” who had rendered outstanding services to new music in Düsseldorf.

After Franz Welser-Möst did not take up his post in 1991, Klee first became provisional chief conductor of the State Philharmonic of Rhineland-Palatinate in Ludwigshafen in 1992 , which he then held until 1997.

Guest conducting in Halle (Saale)

After his first guest conducting in 1997 with the Philharmonic State Orchestra in Halle , he was originally supposed to succeed General Music Director Heribert Beissel , but instead took on a permanent guest conductor for the 1999/2000 season. According to Johannes Killyen , he made "the orchestra a top ensemble within a few months", but was then unnecessarily annoyed by the city of Halle (Saale) "due to incorrect appointments in the administration and non-compliance with certain contractual conditions , so that Wolf-Dieter Hauschild ultimately took over the chief conductor.

World premieres and recordings

Klee was responsible for several world premieres a. a. by Wolfgang Fortner ( Triptych , 1978), Manfred Trojahn ( Farewell ... , 1978), Detlev Müller-Siemens ( Passacaglia , 1979), Hans-Jürgen von Bose ( Idyllen , 1983), Hans Werner Henze ( Ode to an Aeolian harp , International Music Festival Lucerne 1986), Sofia Gubaidulina ( fairy tale poem , 1992), Volker David Kirchner ( 2nd symphony "Mythen" , 1992) and Dieter Schnebel ( Canones , 1995). In addition, in 1972 he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the German premieres of the 2nd violin concerto and the orchestral work Heliogabalus Imperator by Hans Werner Henze.

He presented the following complete opera recordings: Zaide by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1973), Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor by Otto Nicolai (1976), Der Wildschütz by Der Wildschütz by Albert Lortzing (1982), Die Hochzeit des Camacho by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy ( 1988) La clemenza di Tito by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1989). The Nicolai recording is considered a reference recording.

In addition, according to Albrecht Dümling , he is “one of the most knowledgeable pioneers of the Zemlinsky Renaissance”.

Orchestral education

In 2003 he headed the Conductors' Forum for orchestra conductors of the German Music Council in Freiburg im Breisgau . In 2004, he took over the 100th work phase of the Federal Youth Orchestra , which he brought to a close with a gala concert in the Cologne Philharmonic .

family

Edith Mathis (1969)

Bernhard Klee settled in Switzerland and was his first marriage to the Swiss soprano Edith Mathis (* 1938). For these he often appeared as a song accompanist ; a joint recording received the German Record Prize in 1973. He later married a Swiss psychologist. He lives in Wagerswil in the canton of Thurgau .

Awards

Honor
Record prices

Discography (selection)

pianist
conductor

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Alain Pâris : Classical Music in the 20th Century. Instrumentalists, singers, conductors, orchestras, choirs. 2nd, completely revised edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-423-32501-1 , pp. 407f.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Wolf-Eberhard von Lewinski : Experiences of a guest conductor. Conversation with Bernhard Klee. In: Fono Forum 10/1976, pp. 920-924, here: p. 920.
  3. ↑ a b c Robert Croan: Conductor Klee. From Choir to Podium. In: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 24, 1997.
  4. ↑ Wolf-Eberhard von Lewinski : Experiences of a guest conductor. Conversation with Bernhard Klee. In: Fono Forum 10/1976, pp. 920-924, here: p. 924.
  5. ↑ a b c Noël Goodwin:  Klee, Bernhard. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  6. ^ A b Nicolas Slonimsky , Laura Kuhn, Dennis McIntire: Klee, Bernhard. In: Laura Kuhn (Ed.): Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians . Volume 3: Hair – Levi . 9th edition, Schirmer Reference, New York 2001, ISBN 0-02-865528-1 , p. 498.
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Klaus Matthias: Lübeck's music history in the 20th century. Church music and concerts. In: Arnfried Edler , Heinrich W. Schwab (Hrsg.): Studies on the music history of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (= Kieler Schriften zur Musikwissenschaft . Vol. 31). Bärenreiter, Kassel u. a. 1989, ISBN 3-7618-0901-8 , p. 177 ff., Here: p. 200f.
  8. ^ Peter Muck : One Hundred Years of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra . Volume 3: The members of the orchestra, the programs, the concert tours, first and world premieres . Schneider, Tutzing 1982, ISBN 3-7952-0341-4 , p. 458.
  9. ^ Artist: Klee, Bernhard , dso-berlin.de, accessed: April 21, 2020; Peter Ruzicka : 40 years of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. 1946-1986 . RSO, Berlin 1986.
  10. ↑ Friedrich Herzfeld (Ed.): The new Ullstein Lexicon of Music. With 5000 keywords, 600 music samples . Revised and updated anniversary edition, Ullstein, Frankfurt am Main a. a. 1993, ISBN 3-550-06523-X .
  11. ↑ a b Kenneth Herman: German Maestro a Champion of Newer Music . In: Los Angeles Times . January 22, 1988.
  12. ↑ a b c Performances of Bernhard Klee at BBC Proms , bbc.co.uk, accessed April 19, 2020.
  13. ↑ Wolf-Eberhard von Lewinski : Experiences of a guest conductor. Conversation with Bernhard Klee. In: Fono Forum 10/1976, pp. 920-924, here: pp. 923f.
  14. ↑ Così fan tutte - December 21, 1972 Evening , rohcollections.org.uk, accessed on April 19, 2020.
  15. ^ A b Carl Dahlhaus , Hans Heinrich Eggebrecht (Ed.): Brockhaus-Riemann-Musiklexikon . In four volumes and a supplementary volume . Supplementary volume: A – Z. 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Schott, Mainz 1995, ISBN 3-7957-8359-3 .
  16. ^ Norbert Tschulik: Chronicle of the Salzburg Festival 1973 . In: Österreichische Musikzeitschrift 28 (1973) 9, pp. 409f.
  17. ↑ 2. Mozart Matinee - Matineen Ensemble of the Mozarteum Orchestra, Bernhard Klee , archive.salzburgerfestspiele.at, accessed: April 19, 2020.
  18. ^ Norbert Tschulik: Salzburg Festival 1979 . In: Österreichische Musikzeitschrift 34 (1979) 9, pp. 435–438, here: p. 438; Wolfgang A. Mozart Le nozze di Figaro , archive.salzburgerfestspiele.at, accessed: April 19, 2020.
  19. ^ Search in the concert archive, musikverein.at, access: April 25, 2020.
  20. ↑ a b Karl Heinz Ruppel: The Musica viva commemorates its founder Bernhard Klee conducts Hartmann and Henze . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , No. 279, December 3, 1973, p. 14.
  21. ↑ Renate Ulm (Ed.): 1949–1999. 50 years of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra . On behalf of Bayerischer Rundfunk, Bärenreiter, Kassel u. a. 1999, ISBN 3-7618-1395-3 , p. 143 ff.
  22. ^ Wilhelm Hilpert: The winner has to play without a fee. Violin competition for the next generation at the 44th Würzburg Mozart Festival . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , No. 133, June 13, 1975, p. 17.
  23. ↑ Joachim Kaiser : Klee - and the Impressionists. 9th Radio Symphony Orchestra concert in the Herkulessaal in Munich . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , No. 61, 13./14. March 1976, p. 12.
  24. ^ Gabriele E. Meyer: Conductors / World premieres and premieres of the Munich Philharmonic 1893–1973 . In: Regina Schmoll called Eisenwerth (Ed.): The Munich Philharmonic. From the foundation until today . Wolf, Munich 1985, ISBN 3-922979-21-1 , pp. 431-446, here: p. 432.
  25. ^ Erik Werba : Premieres at the Munich Opera Festival . In: Österreichische Musikzeitschrift 34 (1979) 9, pp. 444f.
  26. ^ John Canarina: The New York Philharmonic: From Bernstein to Maazel . Amadeus Press, New York 2010, ISBN 978-1-57467-188-9 , p. 91.
  27. ^ Harold C. Schonberg : Music: Bernhard Klee Makes Debut at Philharmonic. In: The New York Times . Volume 20, April 1974, p. 16.
  28. ^ Klee, Bernhard , archive.pittsburghsymphony.org, accessed April 22, 2020.
  29. ↑ Conductor: Klee, Bernhard , archief.concertgebouworkest.nl, accessed April 22, 2020.
  30. ↑ Rundfunkorchester Hannover under new management , web.ard.de, accessed: April 19, 2020.
  31. ^ Günter Katzenberger , Hans-Olaf Meyer-Grotjahn (Red.): Sofia Gubaidulina. A tribute to the 60th birthday . Pfau, Saarbrücken 2000, ISBN 3-89727-120-6 , p. 12.
  32. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Hans Hubert Schieffer, Hermann Josef Müller: New Music in Düsseldorf since 1945. A contribution to the history of music and the musical life of the city (= series of publications by the Friends of Düsseldorf City Libraries . Vol. 4). Dohr, Cologne 1998, ISBN 3-925366-64-4 , p. 31ff.
  33. ^ A b Hans Hubert Schieffer, Hermann Josef Müller: New Music in Düsseldorf since 1945. A contribution to the history of music and the musical life of the city (= series of publications by the Friends of Düsseldorf City Libraries . Vol. 4). Dohr, Cologne 1998, ISBN 3-925366-64-4 , p. 42.
  34. ↑ Hans Winking: A program should speak for itself. Conversation with the conductor Bernhard Klee. In: Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 2/1985, p. 21.
  35. ^ Bernhard Klee boss in Ludwigshafen. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . February 12, 1992.
  36. ↑ German State Philharmonic of Rhineland-Palatinate , kulturportal-rn.de, accessed on April 18, 2020.
  37. ↑ Andreas Hillger, John Killyen: Philharmonic State Orchestra Halle. No handshake for the contract. Conductor Bernhard Klee blames Halle's head of cultural affairs, Karl-Heinz Gärtner, for the failure of his commitment. In: Mitteldeutsche Zeitung. September 17, 1999.
  38. ↑ John Killyen: State Philharmonic Hall. Outlook into an uncertain future. Program presented for the next season. In: Mitteldeutsche Zeitung. March 21, 2000.
  39. ↑ Johannes Killyen: Visions and ideas are in demand. Halle an der Saale as the designated cultural capital of Saxony-Anhalt . In: Neue Musikzeitung 50 (2001) 9.
  40. ↑ Ode to an Aeolian Harp (Ode to an Aeolian Harp) , hans-werner-henze-stiftung.de, accessed: April 18, 2020.
  41. ^ Alain Pâris: Le Nouveau dictionnaire des interprètes. 6th edition. Editions Robert Laffont, Paris 2015, ISBN 978-2-221-14576-0 .
  42. ^ Peter Muck : One Hundred Years of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra . Volume 3: The members of the orchestra, the programs, the concert tours, first and world premieres . Schneider, Tutzing 1982, ISBN 3-7952-0341-4 , p. 418.
  43. ^ Karsten Steiger: Opera discography: directory of all audio and video recordings . 2nd, fully updated and expanded edition, Saur, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-598-11784-8 , p. 286.
  44. ^ Karsten Steiger: Opera discography: directory of all audio and video recordings . 2nd, fully updated and expanded edition, Saur, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-598-11784-8 , p. 316.
  45. ^ Karsten Steiger: Opera discography: directory of all audio and video recordings . 2nd, fully updated and expanded edition, Saur, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-598-11784-8 , p. 237.
  46. ^ Karsten Steiger: Opera discography: directory of all audio and video recordings . 2nd, fully updated and expanded edition, Saur, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-598-11784-8 , p. 265.
  47. ^ Karsten Steiger: Opera discography: directory of all audio and video recordings . 2nd, fully updated and expanded edition, Saur, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-598-11784-8 , p. 309.
  48. ↑ Ekkehard Pluta: Brief discussions: Nikolai . In: Fono Forum 1/1994, p. 82.
  49. ^ Albrecht Dümling : On to Parnassus. Bernhard Klee and Andreas Haefliger with the BSO in the Schauspielhaus. In: Der Tagesspiegel , No. 14770, December 18, 1993.
  50. ↑ Artistic Director , dirigentenforum.de, accessed April 18, 2020.
  51. ^ Sönke Lentz: Festival concert of the BJO. 100 work phases, 100 times completely convinced . In: Neue Musikzeitung 53 (2004) 5.
  52. ^ Paul Suter: Edith Mathis . In: Andreas Kotte (Ed.): Theater Lexikon der Schweiz . Volume 2, Chronos, Zurich 2005, ISBN 3-0340-0715-9 , p. 1199 f.
  53. ↑ IHD: German Record Prize 1973. The 22 winning shots. In: Fono Forum. 11/1973, pp. 1071-1078, here: p. 1077.
  54. ↑ Price for record. In: Berliner Zeitung . September 2, 1975, vol. 31, issue 208, p. 6.
  55. ↑ Robert Werba et al. a .: The "Viennese Flute Clock" 1976 . In: Österreichische Musikzeitschrift 32 (1976) JG, p. 50ff.
  56. ↑ Fono Notes. In: Fono Forum. 6/1984, p. 10f.
  57. ↑ ORFEO International - catalog , orfeo-international.de, accessed: April 20, 2020.
personal data
SURNAME Klee, Bernhard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German conductor and pianist
DATE OF BIRTH April 19, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Schleiz , Thuringia