Egon Hilbert

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Egon Hilbert (born May 19, 1899 in Vienna ; †  January 18, 1968 there ) was an Austrian theater and opera director. During his tenure, Otto Schenk (* 1930) was appointed senior director and Rudolf Nureyev (1938–1993) as the ballet's star dancer, as well as Leonard Bernstein's state opera debut (1918–1990).

Photo from 1951

Life

Hilbert studied law and philosophy at the University of Vienna and was awarded a Dr. jur. doctorate and entered the civil service as a police lawyer. In addition, he completed his studies in musicology, took over the cultural department at the Federal Press Service in 1926 and became press attaché at the Austrian embassy in Prague in 1935 , where he was primarily entrusted with cultural-political tasks.

After the “Anschluss” of Austria in 1938, he was arrested by the National Socialists and taken to the Dachau concentration camp (with the so-called Prominent Transport ) , where he was liberated in 1945.

In 1945 Hilbert was the provisional director of the Salzburg State Theater and as such tried to reorganize the Salzburg Festival . As head of the Austrian Federal Theater Administration, 1946–1953, he sought to restore the Vienna State Opera to world renown, and despite the most unfavorable conditions he succeeded in building regular operas and a first-class ensemble at the Theater an der Wien . From 1954 to 1959 he was director of the newly founded Austrian Cultural Institute in Rome, from 1959 to 1963 director of the Wiener Festwochen and from June 9, 1963, as successor to Walter Erich Schäfer (1901-1981), together with Herbert von Karajan (with whom he held the first decisive working meeting on June 16, 1963 ) Director of the Vienna State Opera . When Karajan resigned in writing on May 11, 1964 as a result of the state opera crisis that had ruled since autumn 1963 (or Karajan crisis ), the position of Hilbert, who was openly rejected by Karajan, appeared uncertain, since the first ministerial minister Theodor Piffl-Perčević (1911-1994) initially came into office Karajan's conditions for a continued stay wanted to negotiate. In any case, Piffl-Perčević announced that the Karajan-Hilbert co-directorate would expire at the end of the season . - On September 1, 1964, Hilbert became the sole director of the house and opened the season with the wedding of Figaro .

On January 18, 1968, after months of intrigues by the Federal Theater Administration and the State Opera, Hilbert's (overdue) de facto resignation was announced. On the evening of the same day when Hilbert tried to get into the company car in front of his house in Vienna-Penzing , which was to take him to the State Opera for the performance of Don Giovanni , he collapsed with a heartbeat. Hilbert's deputy director (and later successor), Heinrich Reif-Gintl (1900–1974), informed the audience of Hilbert's death during the break from Don Giovanni and asked for a minute of mourning. Hilbert, whose health had been compromised for some time, had signed an agreement in a tug-of-war over his recall or successor, according to which he was to be given leave of absence from February 1, 1968 until the expiry of his contract in 1970.

His grave of honor is located in the Hietzinger Friedhof (Group 46, No. 25 C) in Vienna.

The novel Der Opernnarr by the Austrian writer and cabaret artist Carl Merz is a biography of Egon Hilbert - curiously disguised by pseudonyms. In Merz's novel he bears the name “Edmund Pleinher”, Karl Böhm becomes “Karl Schön”, and Herbert von Karajan appears as “de Zarunian”.

Awards

Fonts

  • The Vienna State Opera in the Theater an der Wien . In: Anton Bauer: 150 years of Theater an der Wien . Amalthea-Verlag, Zurich / Vienna (inter alia) 1952, OBV , pp. 501-512.
  • To Franz Strauss . In: Franz Strauss: Festschrift Dr. Franz Strauss on his 70th birthday . Schneider, Tutzing 1967, OBV , pp. 35-38.

literature

  • Egon Hilbert, Austrian theater and opera director . Press reviews. Tagblattarchiv (1950–1973), 17 sheets, OBV .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Vienna 1959: reports from May 1959. (…) May 16, 1959: Egon Hilbert's 60th birthday . In: wien.gv.at , accessed on November 8, 2013.
  2. ↑ a b Gina Galeta (compilation): Vienna 1964: reports from July 1964. (…) July 3, 1964: Golden Medal of Honor for Hilbert and Stratil-Sauer . wien.gv.at; Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  3. ↑ In the case of Karajan's honor: High opera politics . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna June 21, 1963, p. 8 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  4. ↑ a b Dr. Hilbert died of a heart attack . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 19, 1968, p. 5 , column 5 middle ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  5. ↑ Karajan has a "nervous crisis" - resignation. Education Minister accepts resignation - Karajan's negotiations with the Metropolitan denied . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna May 12, 1964, p. 1 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  6. ↑ Hilbert is waiting for Piffl. Tomorrow Karajan in Vienna . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna May 13, 1964, p. 1 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized). and Piffl on the Research Council: a say in politics . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna May 15, 1964, p. 2 , column 2, below ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  7. ↑ Does Dr. Piffl Hilbert fall? Karajan has been in Vienna since Wednesday . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna May 14, 1964, p. 1 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  8. ↑ Piffl: After the season, the Karajan – Hilbert direction expires . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna May 15, 1964, p. 1 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  9. ↑ F (ritz) W (alden) : To the new beginning: Fight the shadow! In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna August 30, 1964, p. 8 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  10. ↑ h. (d. i. Hans Heinz Hahnl ): Successful start to the new opera season . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna September 3, 1964, p. 8 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  11. ^ F (ritz) W (alden): Concern about the opera? In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 16, 1968, p. 8 , top right ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  12. ^ F (ritz) W (alden): Hilbert's resignation . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 18, 1968, p. 1 , top right ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  13. ↑ The negotiations are over: Director Dr. Hilbert on leave . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 18, 1968, p. 8 , top left ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  14. ↑ a b The sudden cardiac death Director Hilberts: Burial on Thursday . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 20, 1968, p. 8 , top left ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  15. ↑ Josef Krips: You cannot make music without love. Memories . Edited by Harrietta Krips. Böhlau, Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-205-98158-8 , p. 362.
  16. ↑ Hedwig Abraham: Dr. Egon Hilbert . In: viennatouristguide.at , accessed on November 4, 2013.
  17. ↑ DNB 575094257 - Note on the novel "Der Opernnarr" by Carl Merz.
  18. ↑ List of all decorations awarded by the Federal President for services to the Republic of Austria from 1952 (PDF; 6.9 MB)
  19. ^ F (ritz) W (alden): The 65th birthday of a difficult person . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna May 20, 1964, p. 8 , column 1 middle ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).

Remarks

  1. ↑ The interview took place at Gut Buchenhof in Mauerbach , a property that Karajan lived in with his family during his Vienna years and which he was supposed to leave a year later months before the outbreak of the operatic crisis . - Franz Endler : Karajan. A biography . German edition, first edition. Hoffmann and Campe, Hamburg 1992, ISBN 3-455-08432-X , p. 189, and Georg Markus : Adresses with history. Where famous people lived . Amalthea, Vienna 2005, ISBN 3-85002-542-X , p. 180.
personal data
SURNAME Hilbert, Egon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian theater director
DATE OF BIRTH May 19, 1899
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH 18th January 1968
Place of death Vienna