History of the symphony orchestras in Schleswig-Holstein

The history of the symphony orchestras in Schleswig-Holstein provides information about the formation and further development of the large orchestras in the northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein and their contribution to the state's cultural scene.

Symphony orchestra in Schleswig-Holstein

The permanent orchestras in the country include:

the Philharmonic Orchestra Kiel ,
the symphony orchestra of the Schleswig-Holstein State Theater , with the venues Flensburg, Schleswig and Rendsburg, as well
the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck .

All three orchestras have regular series of events, offer special concerts and at the same time play in local music theaters.

There are also symphony and chamber orchestras on a semi-professional level, which also enrich musical life in several places with regular series of concerts. Around 200 folk music orchestras are looked after by the Schleswig-Holstein Musicians' Association and the Spielmannsvereinigung.

There are also:

The Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra . Each year it gathers around 120 international music students aged 26 or under who are selected at auditions in 30 cities in North and South America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
The Landesjugendorchester Schleswig-Holstein , a symphonic orchestra of selected young instrumentalists from Schleswig-Holstein. It consists of up to 100 young musicians between the ages of 14 and 25.
The North German Sinfonietta , an orchestra workshop based in Rendsburg. In this chamber orchestra, schoolchildren and students have the opportunity to gain orchestral experience alongside professional musicians. Since it was founded in 2000, the north German sinfonietta has given numerous concerts in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg as well as international concert tours.

On the history of the orchestra

Philharmonic Orchestra of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck

The Philharmonic Orchestra of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck was founded 120 years ago, in 1897, by the Verein der Musikfreunde Lübeck . Eleven years later, in addition to the symphony concerts, the orchestra also took over the opera services in the newly opened Lübeck theater building, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008. A large number of well-known conductors worked in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck and shaped the high quality of the ensemble, including Hermann Abendroth (1905–1911), Wilhelm Furtwängler (1911–1915), Eugen Jochum (1928/29), Christoph von Dohnányi (1957–1963 ), Gerd Albrecht (1963–1966) or Bernhard Klee (1966–1973).

Under his longtime GMD Erich Wächter (1989-2001), the Philharmonic Orchestra moved into its new symphonic home in 1994, the Lübeck Music and Congress Hall (MuK) , which meets the highest acoustic standards . Under Roman Brogli-Sacher, who took over the leadership of the orchestra from 2001 to 2012, the Lübeck Philharmonic received prestigious awards, such as the German Record Critics' Prize in 2011 and the ECHO-Klassik for the DVD production of Richard Wagner's “Der Ring of the Nibelung ”. From 2013 to 2017 Ryusuke Numajiri was the orchestra's GMD. The director Sandra Leupold was awarded the renowned DER FAUST theater prize in 2014 for the “ Don Carlos ” production that he directed at the Lübeck Theater . In the 2017/18 season, Andreas Wolf will lead the orchestra as provisional GMD. In 2019 Stefan Vladar was appointed GMD of the Lübeck Philharmonic.

In recent years a large number of internationally celebrated conductors have been invited to Lübeck, including Wolfram Christ , Marc Piollet , Michael Sanderling , John Nelson, Michail Jurowski , Leif Segerstam , and Stefan Vladar .

The Lübeck Philharmonic Orchestra has already played with many well-known soloists , including Mario Brunello, Gerhard Oppitz , Reinhold Friedrich , Heinrich Schiff , Martin Stadtfeld , Sabine Meyer , Juliane Banse , Anja Harteros , Arabella Steinbacher , Mischa Maisky , Lise de la Salle .

Philharmonic Orchestra Kiel

For several years now, the Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra can look back on over 100 years of tradition, because it was founded in 1907 by the Kiel Association of Music Friends , which is still an important part of classical music life in Kiel today.

In the past, the orchestra has often given concerts with well-known soloists and guest conductors. So were together with the Kiel Philharmonic z. B. Max Reger , Claudio Arrau , Pierre Fournier , Géza Anda , Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , Grace Bumbry , Agnes Baltsa , David Geringas and Antje Weithaas ; Richard Strauss , Jean Sibelius , Eugen Jochum , Bruno Maderna , Michael Gielen , Gerd Albrecht and Fabio Luisi were among the conductors .

The list of general music directors who have shaped the orchestra as decisively as it was groundbreaking includes the all-rounder Peter Ronnefeld , who was Germany’s youngest GMD in Kiel for the last two years before his tragically early death (1963-65). B. also the respected composer and conductor Hans Zender , who established the so-called new music in Kiel with the series “musica nova” in the early 1970s ; in addition, among others, Klaus Tennstedt , Klaus Weise and Klauspeter Seibel to Georg Fritzsch , who has led the orchestra as an innovative GMD since the 2003/04 season.

The recordings of the Kiel Philharmonic include the Lázaro DVD, the highly acclaimed live recordings of the Schreker operas Christophorus and Das Spielwerk und die Princess ; the latter recording was even awarded the “Prize of the German Record Critics 2003”. In addition, another CD combines the live recording of a performance of Mahler's 6th Symphony with the world premiere of BlueGreen for saxophone quartet and orchestra by Bernd Franke from a concert by the Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra with the renowned Raschèr Saxophone Quartet in 2004.

Promoting young talent is one of the main tasks of the orchestra, which has recently been reflected in an orchestra academy, where advanced young people can get to know the many facets of artistic work on their instrument, often during joint performances with orchestra members.

Flensburg Municipal Orchestra

In 1920 the city of Flensburg founded the "Flensburg Municipal Orchestra" from 40 qualified musicians from the military music regiments who had returned from the First World War, under the direction of music director Viktor Wolfgang Schwarz. The orchestra developed into a powerful ensemble that played great romantic literature (Wagner, Liszt, Strauss, Berlioz) in the symphony concerts and also gave 30 folk concerts (waltzes, marches, operetta melodies) and six chamber concerts per season. After four years of activity, Schwarz was replaced by music director Klaus Barth, who focused on Handel, Haydn and Mozart. As a novelty, he introduced seven popular education concerts per season, in which he gave the audience detailed explanations of the works performed. The orchestra has now also given concerts in Schleswig, Husum, Eiderstedt and North Schleswig and has also performed the music in the city theater. Since 1923 the summer engagement came as a spa orchestra a. a. on the North Frisian Islands, Heligoland and in Bad Ems. However, the global economic crisis also had a negative effect on cultural life in Flensburg, so that the city dissolved the orchestra in 1930 due to financial hardship.

However, the orchestra had gained great recognition through recordings for the radio, and with the help of funds from Berlin, the dismissed musicians, who had now joined the newly founded "Verein der Musikfreunde in Flensburg", could be offered new contracts. The concerts of the 1932/1933 season took place for the first time in the newly opened Deutsches Haus .

Grenzland Orchestra

In 1933, Klaus Barth, who had also made a contribution to controversial contemporary music, was deposed by the National Socialists. His successor until 1937 was Johannes Röder, who had made a name for himself as the choirmaster and organist of St. Nikolai, the popular concerts were directed by concertmaster Albert Nocke. The “Flensburg Municipal Orchestra” has been renamed the “Grenzland-Orchester”. The concerts were often broadcast directly from the German House on the Reichsender Hamburg . Heinz Schubert, First Kapellmeister at the Stadttheater, led the Grenzland Orchestra for one season, from 1938–1944 music director Otto Miehler took over. When the orchestra was no longer able to play in 1944/1945 due to the convocation of many musicians and Miehlers, soloist concerts were offered as a substitute in the city theater.

Flensburg Municipal Orchestra

After the end of the war, Miehler was commissioned by the British military government to found a "Flensburg Municipal Orchestra". The first concerts in the Deutsches Haus, which at that time still served as an auxiliary hospital, were initially only accessible to the British military. The first public concert took place on September 15, 1945 in the gym of the Mürwik Naval School . The 1946/1947 season again offered 18 symphony concerts in the Deutsches Haus. Modern works were played again under Miehler's direction. In 1950 the Flensburg council decided to dissolve the orchestra for financial reasons.

Nordmark Symphony Orchestra

A newly founded association ensured the maintenance of the ensemble, which from now on bore the name "Nordmark-Sinfonie-Orchester". Heinrich Steiner, who as general music director took over the direction of the concerts in the Deutsches Haus and also of the music theater performances in the Stadttheater Flensburg, had a decisive influence on the orchestra during his 23 years in this function. In addition to subscription concerts and some special concerts, Steiner organized student concerts in which he introduced students to classical music with explanations. The orchestra had an impact far beyond the country's borders and gave guest performances in Copenhagen and Malmö . Steiner initiated the joint concerts with the Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester, which became the high points of the season and a tradition that is still maintained today.

It was possible to increase the orchestra, which in addition to the normal concert and theater business in the summer also acted as a spa orchestra in Westerland , to 55 musicians. A drastic increase in admission prices in 1972/1973 once again led to a discussion about the costs of the orchestra, the majority of which was still borne by the city of Flensburg. A change in sponsorship became inevitable, which led to Steiner's departure.

Schleswig-Holstein State Theater and Symphony Orchestra

The Nordmark Symphony Orchestra was also incorporated into the Schleswig-Holstein State Theater and Symphony Orchestra GmbH, which was founded in 1974 . General director Horst Mesalla achieved an increase in the staffing of the orchestra and the decision of the shareholders' meeting to classify the orchestra in the higher tariff group B in 1978. From 1974 to 1979, the GMD was Russlan Raytscheff, then Hector A. Urbon. In 1987 Gerhard Schneider took over the position of GMD. He was replaced in 1993 by Joachim Willert, who previously held the same position at the Komische Oper Berlin.

1998–2002 Per Borin was GMD of the Schleswig-Holstein Symphony Orchestra. With the care of Scandinavian music, he set an important focus in terms of content and in the summer of 2002 followed an appointment as professor at the Stuttgart University of Music. At the beginning of the 2002/2003 season, Gerard Oskamp took over the management of the orchestra as GMD. He conducted the great works of music theater and set clear emphases in terms of content in an extensive concert program. In the 2002/2003 season, the symphonic work of Franz Liszt was a constant accent, and in the following season France formed the musical focus.

In the 2004/2005 season the concerts carried the motto “Longing for Peace”, in each concert of the 2005/2006 season the focus was on the music of a European country (Russia, Italy, England, the Czech Republic, Germany, etc.). In his last season, for which he was responsible as GMD, Gerard Oskamp conducted music in the field of tension between tradition and modernity ("Drawing from tradition").

In 2007, Estonian Mihkel Kütson, born in Tallinn in 1971, joined the Schleswig-Holstein State Theater as GMD from the Hanover Opera House . With a passionate love of music, high quality standards and the joy of discovery in the concert programs, which skillfully combined well-known works with forgotten or not yet so familiar works, he brought many new friends to the theater. After moving to the Theater Krefeld-Mönchengladbach in 2012, he was followed by the Austrian Peter Sommerer to the post of chief. After two years as first conductor at the Landestheater, the orchestra had elected him with a large majority. In his first concert season 2012/2013, Peter Sommerer puts Mozart and the works of the Viennese Classic at the center of attention, because they are “the source and breeding ground for classical music to this day and a great joy for musicians and listeners”. In addition, Peter Sommerer directs numerous music theater productions and introduced the extremely successful “baby concerts”.

Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra

“If you want to understand music, you first have to make it yourself.” Leonard Bernstein knew that music always conveys more than what is written in the notes. And that the young musicians must therefore be given the opportunity to work like the professionals.

In 1987 he founded the international festival orchestra of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival . Since then, around 120 young musicians (maximum age 26) from various nations have come to the northernmost state in the summer to learn from the great. Only the best - they have to qualify in advance at auditions all over the world - receive a scholarship for their stay. Auditions are held every spring in 30 cities in North and South America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Only after the end of the last audition will the jury decide whether the young musicians will be allowed to participate in the festival orchestra. These are then funded by way of example: You enjoy a scholarship, and instead of a fee, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival Foundation pays all the costs for travel, accommodation and meals as well as chamber music lessons. Conductors such as Sergiu Celibidache , Lorin Maazel , Kent Nagano , Esa-Pekka Salonen and Mikhail Pletnev have already formed the world's musical elite into the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra .

Christoph Eschenbach , who came to Salzau for the first time in 1988 , has been Principal Conductor of the orchestra since 2004. Great soloists like Anne-Sophie Mutter , Waltraud Meier , Midori , Viktoria Mullova , Tabea Zimmermann , Yuri Bashmet , Matthias Goerne , Thomas Hampson , Steven Isserlis , Nigel Kennedy , Evgeny Kissin , Lang Lang , Yo-Yo Ma , Vadim Repin and Frank Peter Zimmermann gave concerts with the outstanding young orchestra.

As a charismatic ambassador of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and the State of Schleswig-Holstein, the festival orchestra is on the road every year. Guest tours led the orchestra a. a. to North America, to the Berlin Philharmonic , the Paris Salle Pleyel , the Amsterdam Concertgebouw , the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Budapest Franz Liszt Music Academy , the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater as well as Moscow, Helsinki, Milan, Istanbul, Granada, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

After 24 eventful years at Salzau Castle, the festival orchestra of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival moved to Rendsburg in summer 2011 . There the young musicians will find ideal living and rehearsal conditions in the Nordkolleg Rendsburg and the ACO Thormannhalle on the grounds of the " Artwork Carlshütte " in Rendsburg- Büdelsdorf . The tradition of public rehearsals is continued at the new headquarters, giving the interested public the opportunity to watch famous conductors work with the young musicians over their shoulders.

literature

Hans Peter Detlefsen: Music history of the city of Flensburg up to the year 1850 (publications of the State Institute for Music Research, Kiel, Volume XI) , Kassel: Bärenreiter 1961.
Eckart Altenmüller : From the Neandertal to the Philharmonie. Why humans cannot live without music , Heidelberg: Springer 2018.