Braunschweig State Orchestra
The Braunschweig State Orchestra was founded in 1587 by Duke Julius von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel , making it one of the oldest and most traditional cultural orchestras in the world.
history
On October 2nd, 1587 Thomas Mancinus founded the Ducal Court Chapel under Duke Julius in Wolfenbüttel. In 1690 the Ducal Opera House opened on Braunschweig's Hagenmarkt. In 1720 already 23 instrumentalists formed the "Hochfürstliche Chapel". In 1753 the Wolfenbütteler Hof moved to Braunschweig. In the same year, the opera house on Hagenmarkt is rebuilt according to Nicolini's ideas. Mozart's Don Giovanni was performed for the first time in 1793, followed by Die Zauberflöte a year later . In 1799, Ludwig (Louis) Spohr, who later became a violin virtuoso and composer, joined the Braunschweiger Kapelle as a violinist at the age of 15. In 1829 Goethe's Faust I was premiered in Braunschweig . Between 1858 and 1861 a new theater building was erected in the Ducal Park on Steinweg (today's theater) and opened in 1861 with Goethe's Iphigenie on Tauris . In 1918 the court orchestra lost its independence and became the orchestra of the Braunschweiger Landestheater. In 1929 the Landestheater-Kapelle had 55 members. The orchestra retained this status until the end of the Free State of Braunschweig after the end of the Second World War . Only since then has the orchestra appeared under the name Braunschweiger Staatsorchester. Today the orchestra, with the rank of an A orchestra , organizes annual concerts in Braunschweig with up to 40,000 listeners a year and performs at music festivals. As an orchestra of the Braunschweig State Theater , it also plays around 120 opera performances per season.
Kapellmeister and Conductor
In the history of the Braunschweig State Orchestra, a number of well-known personalities have worked as conductors and Kapellmeister. Among them were conductors such as Louis Spohr , Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy , Hector Berlioz , Franz Liszt and Richard Strauss . Carl Melles was honorary conductor of the Braunschweig State Orchestra until his death in 2004. On January 22, 2012, the Braunschweig State Orchestra appointed its former General Music Director Stefan Soltesz as Honorary Conductor.
Chief conductor
- In 1587 Thomas Mancinus (* 1550 in Schwerin ) became the first conductor
- In 1604 Michael Praetorius (born February 15, 1571 in Creuzburg near Eisenach) becomes Kapellmeister
- In 1655 Heinrich Schütz (* 1585 in Köstritz ), the first German opera composer, became senior conductor (according to the appointment that is still in place today).
- In 1697 Georg Caspar Schürmann (* 1672 or early 1673 in the Idensen district of Wunstorf ) became court conductor
- In 1725 Karl Heinrich Graun (* 1704 in Wahrenbrück ) becomes Kapellmeister
- In 1816 Gottlob Wiedebein (born July 21, 1779 in Eilenstedt ) became director of the ducal court orchestra
- In 1832 Albert Methfessel (born October 6, 1785 in Stadtilm ) becomes court conductor
- In 1842 Georg Franz Ferdinand Müller (born August 29, 1808 in Braunschweig ) became court conductor. He is also 2nd violinist in the famous Müller Quartet ( Gebrüder Müller ).
- In 1855 Franz Abt (born December 22, 1819 in Eilenburg ) became court conductor.
- In 1882 Hermann Riedel (born January 2, 1847 in Burg near Magdeburg) became court conductor.
- In 1914 Karl Pohlig (born February 10, 1858 in Teplitz , Bohemia) becomes court conductor, and at the same time the first general music director.
- In 1924 Franz Mikorey (born June 3, 1873 in Munich ) became general music director.
- In 1928 Klaus Nettsträter became general music director.
- In 1934 Rudolf Moralt (born February 26, 1902 in Munich) became general music director.
- In 1936 Ewald Lindemann became general music director.
- In 1945 Albert Bittner (born September 27, 1900 in Nuremberg ) became the new general music director after the war.
- In 1955 Arthur Grüber (born August 21, 1910 in Essen ) becomes the new general music director.
- In 1962 Heribert Esser (born January 12, 1929) becomes the new general music director and has been the musical director of the Braunschweig State Theater ever since.
- In 1988 Stefan Soltesz (born January 6, 1949) became the new general music director.
- In 1994 Philippe Auguin (born February 19, 1961 in Nice ) becomes the new general music director.
- In 1998 Jonas Alber (* 1969 in Offenburg ) became the new general music director.
- In 2007 Alexander Joel (* 1971 in London ) became the new general music director.
- In 2017 Srba Dinić (* 1969 in Niš / Serbia) becomes the new general music director.
Discography
The Braunschweig State Orchestra has been producing and distributing sound carriers with symphonies by various romantic and classical composers since 1983.
- The nine symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven ; Conductor: Carl Melles
- The four symphonies by Johannes Brahms ; Conductor: Philippe Auguin
- Symphonies by Robert Schumann ; Conductor: Jonas Alber
literature
- Werner Flechsig : Thomas Mancinus . Georg Kallmeyer Verlag, Wolfenbüttel 1933
- Erich Rosendahl : History of the court theaters in Hanover and Braunschweig . Helwingsche Verlagbuchhandlung, Hanover 1927
- Heinrich Sievers , Albert Trapp , Alexander Schum: 250 years of the Braunschweigische Staatstheater . Appelhans, Braunschweig 1941
- 275 years of theater in Braunschweig , published by the general director in 1965
- Paul-Albrecht Schmücking: 1940-1954 in the Braunschweig State Theater . Wofe-Verlag, Braunschweig 1954