Rudolf Kempe

Rudolf Kempe (born 14 June 1910 in Dresden, † May 12 1976 in Zurich ) was a German conductor.

He was regarded as a specialist of the late Romantic Austro-German repertoire, notably Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, Johannes Brahms and, even more, by Richard Strauss.

Kempe studied at the school orchestra in Dresden and began in 1928 as an oboist in Dortmund. From 1929 to 1936 he was principal oboist and pianist at the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and began with 27 years of his conducting career. In 1949 he became general music director of Dresden, 1951 director of the local opera. From 1952 to 1954 he was Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, in the 60 years he headed the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, and was at that time one of the world's most sought-after conductors (New York, Buenos Aires, Milan, Salzburg). His early death prevented a long-term collaboration with the Munich Philharmonic, the GMD he had become in 1967. He was succeeded by Sergiu Celibidache.

Kempe was a self-possessed conductor who turned his great technical skill at the service of the orchestra, the musicians and singers. He saw and experienced music less than audience- event, but rather from the perspective of playing instruments together. Therefore, he was also a supporter of the Ensemble Theatre. His clear signs given supported his structuralist style of interpretation, which can be well seen from the fact that he, the chamber musical qualities, the byplay and the subtle shades of sound made ​​audible, especially in the large late-romantic scores.

He was buried at the cemetery Bogenhausener in Munich. The urn was placed in March 2007 after Stratford- upon- Avon to his widow Cordula Kempe, which is active in the Rudolf Kempe Society there. The grave stone was removed.

Auswahldiskografie

• Richard Strauss, all tone poems and concertos (EMI )
• Richard Wagner, The Mastersingers of Nuremberg; Lohengrin (EMI )
• Johannes Brahms, A German Requiem (EMI )