Blüthner Orchestra
The Blüthner Orchestra was a symphony orchestra founded in Berlin in 1907 , which was continued as the Berlin Symphony Orchestra from 1925 (see Konzerthausorchester Berlin ).
Foundation phase
It was named after its sponsor, “Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH”, which was founded in Leipzig in 1853 by the piano maker Julius Blüthner . Today, alongside Steinway & Sons , Bösendorfer and Carl Bechstein, it is one of the leading piano manufacturers worldwide. The orchestra, supported with considerable funds, was looking for talented musicians, its first concertmaster was Louis Persinger . His domicile was the "Blüthner-Saal", a large concert hall belonging to the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory at Genthinerstraße 11 ( Berlin-Tiergarten ). In the founding year 1907, the violist Hermann Scherchen began his career with the orchestra. From 1909 to 1910 the conductor Josef Stránský took over the direction of the orchestra. Under him, Edgard Varèses first symphonic poem "Bourgogne" was premiered on December 15, 1910 . In 1913 the orchestra first recorded the first act from " Die Walküre " by Richard Wagner under the direction of Edmund von Strauss for the German record company Anker Record (Anker EE 9958-9963).
Increasing awareness
The Blüthner Orchestra performed throughout Germany outside of Berlin. The critically acclaimed Blüthner Orchestra under the direction of Paul Scheinpflug was popular in Berlin, especially its Sunday symphony concerts with the common and popular classical and romantic repertoire in the Blüthner Hall. In 1915, violinist Adalbert Luczkowski joined the orchestra from the Schwarwenka Conservatory, and in 1917 there was a tour of Hungary under Eugene Ormandy .
The participation of the Blüthner Orchestra in a New Year's concert organized by the Berlin SPD, a “proletarian concert” in January 1919, was probably less due to the orchestra's favoring a certain political line than to its efforts to gain popularity. A scandal broke out around the orchestra when it played at their funeral ceremony after the murder of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg on January 15, 1919. Only an apology from the conductor Paul Scheinpflug could rehabilitate the orchestra.
Final phase
One of the last famous concerts under the name "Blüthner Orchestra" took place on October 16, 1924 in the Sportpalast Berlin under Pietro Mascagni . In May 1925 his musicians were taken over by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Oskar Fried . The Blüthner Orchestra had ceased to exist.
Discography (selection)
Individual evidence
- ^ Rudolf Vierhaus (Ed.), Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie 9 , 2008, p. 317.
- ↑ Michael Walter, Hitler in the Opera ( Memento of the original from January 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , 2000, p. 15.
- ↑ Michael Walter, Hitler in the Opera ( Memento of the original from January 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , 2000, p. 16.
- ↑ https://www.taminoautographs.com/products/mascagni-pietro , accessed June 25, 2020
