Rainer Zepperitz

Paul Rainer Zepperitz ( born August 25, 1930 in Bandung, Java, Indonesia; † 23 December 2009 ) was a German double bassist. Together with Friedrich Witt, he served as principal double bass for several decades in the bass section of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Life

In his childhood, he first learned to play the violin before moving to Germany at the Conservatory Dusseldorf learned the bass game after moving his family at Arthur Daewel.

After extensive studies in various bassists, he was already in 1947 solo bassist of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra. In 1949 he took over the same function with the Orchestra of the Beethoven Hall in Bonn. In 1951 he was admitted as then the youngest member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Here he took over as successor to the solo bassist Linus William since 1957, the post of first solo double bass players.

1958 Rainer Zepperitz was appointed professor of the University of the Arts Berlin.

He held the position of Executive Management at the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra from 1966 to 1978 and from 1981 to 1984. He also was an instructor in the Orchestra Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic. In the course of conflicts with the principal conductor Herbert von Karajan in 1983, it was in their area, to represent the position of the orchestra.

Zepperitz supported in the 1980s, the initiative to grow the Scharoun Philharmonie in Berlin its own chamber music hall. This was opened in 1987 with a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Karajan and the soloist Anne- Sophie Mutter solemnly.

In September 1995, ended his tour of duty with the Berlin Philharmonic, where he played during this time under Sergiu Celibidache, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan and Claudio Abbado and numerous guest conductors.

He founded several chamber ensembles ( Berlin Philharmonic Octet, Berlin Chamber Ensemble ), with whom he worked intensively. Noteworthy is the premiere of the octet by Paul Hindemith in 1958, in which the composer took the viola part.

After his retirement Zepperitz continued to work with young bassists in the world, both on master classes as well as orchestral projects. Since 2001 he was a professor emeritus from the university service. He died on 23 December 2009 in Berlin.