Egon Hilbert
Egon Hilbert ( born May 19, 1899 in Vienna, † January 18, 1968 ) was an Austrian theater and opera director. During his tenure, among other things, the appointment of Otto Schenk's fell (* 1930) as senior director Rudolf Nureyev and ( 1938-1993 ) as the star dancer of the Ballet and the State Opera debut Leonard Bernstein ( 1918-1990 ).
Life
Hilbert studied law and philosophy at the University of Vienna in 1924 to Dr. jur. PhD and appeared as a police lawyer in the government service. In addition, he completed a degree in musicology, took over in 1926 the Department of Culture of the Federal Press Service and in 1935 the press attaché at the Austrian Embassy in Prague, where he was primarily responsible for cultural policy tasks.
After the "Anschluss " of Austria in 1938, he was arrested by the Nazis and ( with the so-called celebrities transport) spent in the concentration camp at Dachau, where he was liberated in 1945.
1945 Hilbert provisional director of the Salzburg State Theatre and, as such, to the reorganization of the Salzburg Festival was busy. As head of the Austrian Federal Theatre Management, 1946-1953, he sought to procure the Vienna State Opera again international standing, and succeeded in spite of the most unfavorable conditions, to establish a regular opera business and a top-notch ensemble at the Theater an der Wien. From 1954 to 1959 he was head of the newly established Austrian Cultural Institute in Rome, from 1959 to 1963 director of the Vienna Festival and from 9 June 1963 as the successor to Walter Erich Schäfer ( 1901-1981 ), together with Herbert von Karajan (with whom he on 16 June 1963, the first crucial job interview was conducted ) [note 1] director of the Vienna State Opera. As a result of the Karajan since autumn 1963 ruling State Opera crisis (or Karajan crisis ) resigned in writing by May 11, 1964, the position of the von Karajan openly rejected Hilbert as the first took office ministers Theodor Piffl - Percevic appeared unsure ( 1911-1994 ) first wanted Karajan conditions for continued whereabouts negotiate. Anyway announced Piffl - Percevic that the Kodirektorat Karajan Hilbert would expire at the end of the season. - By September 1, 1964 Hilbert was the sole director of the house and opened the season with Marriage of Figaro.
On January 18, 1968 it was given after months against Hilbert conducted intrigues of Federal Theatre Management and State Opera announced its ( overdue ) De facto resignation. As Hilbert wanted the evening of the same day climb the official car outside his home in Vienna Penzing, was to take him to the performance of Don Giovanni at the State Opera, he collapsed with a heart attack. The Deputy Director (and later successor ) Hilbert, Heinrich Reif- Gintl ( 1900-1974 ), sat in the break of Don Giovanni the audience of the death of Hilbert informed and asked for a memorial minute. Hilbert, whose health had been attacked for some time, had signed in tug of war for his recall and follow a convention, therefore, he should be granted leave until his contract expires in 1970 from 1 February 1968.
His grave is located at the Hietzing Cemetery (Group 46, No. 25 C) in Vienna.
The novel " The Opernnarr " the Austrian writer and comedian Carl Merz is a - curiously disguised by pseudonyms - Biography Egon Hilbert. This helps in Merz 'novel named " Edmund Pleinher " from Karl Böhm " Charles Fine," and Herbert von Karajan occurs as " de Zarunian " on.
Awards
Writings
- The Vienna State Opera at the Theater an der Wien. In: Anton Bauer 150 Years of Theater an der Wien. Amalthea -Verlag, Zurich / Vienna (among others) in 1952, OBV, pp. 501-512.