Fritz Zaun (conductor)

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Fritz Zaun (born June 19, 1893 in Cologne ; † January 17, 1966 in Düsseldorf ) was a German conductor and music teacher and, from the founding of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Düsseldorf / Duisburg ) in 1956, until his death, its general music director .

Fritz Zaun grew up in Cologne and studied music and theater studies, philosophy and literature in Cologne and Bonn. He got his first engagement in his hometown: under the general music director Otto Klemperer he became choir director at the Cologne Opera House . His other positions: Opera director in Mönchengladbach , opera director at the Zurich Opera House , until 1939 general music director of the Cologne Opera and head of the Berlin Municipal Orchestra. In Berlin he shaped the musical life there together with Wilhelm Furtwängler . He experienced the end of the war in Zagreb , where he worked as the opera director and chief conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic (1945–1956). Then he was involved in the reconstruction of the Graz Opera . Guest performances led Zaun all over Europe and to South America.

His favorite composers were Richard Wagner , Richard Strauss , Hans Pfitzner and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , whose works he repeatedly performed, especially at the Rheinoper, for whose artistic level he - together with Alberto Erede , Hermann Juch and Grischa Barfuss - in the 1960s was jointly responsible. His last conduct was a performance of the Flying Dutchman in Düsseldorf.

Fritz Zaun's family grave is located in the Melaten cemetery in Cologne.

literature

  • Fritz Zaun (obituary). In: German stage yearbook. 75th year 1967 - season 1966/1967 . Cooperative of German Stage Members, Hamburg 1968, p. 111

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Fence, Fritz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German conductor and music teacher
DATE OF BIRTH June 19, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH Cologne
DATE OF DEATH 17th January 1966
Place of death Dusseldorf