Lovro von Matačić

Lovro von Matačić ( born February 14, 1899 in Susak, Rijeka, then Austria - Hungary, now Croatia; † 4 January 1985 in Zagreb (other sources: Belgrade and Dubrovnik), then Yugoslavia ) was a Yugoslav conductor and composer.

Life

Matačić was initially the Vienna Boys Choir before he learned in the Austrian capital composition and conducting. Throughout his life he remained in the repertoire of Austrian Joseph Haydn to Bruckner bound, for which he was honored in 1981 by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra with the " Bruckner Ring".

In the years 1948-1954 he worked as an opera and orchestra conductor in Skopje and Rijeka. 1956 to 1958 he was chief conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle, 1961-1966 Music Director of the Frankfurt Opera in 1972 bis 1979 GMD of the orchestra Monte Carlo. He also frequently conducted in Prague, as well as regularly in Berlin, London and Paris, where there were many recordings of symphonies and operas. Lovro von Matačićs Herculean figure and wide dynamic range of orchestral conducting enjoyed great popularity, especially in Japan. From 1970 to 1980 he was principal conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic.

As an opera conductor Matačić took among other things, on the Freischütz ( with Rudolf Schock and Gottlob Frick ) and The Merry Widow ( with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf ). After his death he was buried in the Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb.

From Matačić also emerged as a composer of works in contemporary style. His most important work in this area is the "Symphony of confrontations " (1979, revised 1984), a four-movement, one-hour composition for two concert grand piano, large string orchestra and huge percussion apparatus. The work discussed in a very harsh language the global nuclear threat, citing the " Dies Irae " theme of the Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz.