Wilhelm Jahn

Wilhelm Jahn (* November 24, 1835 in Hof, † April 21, 1900 in Vienna ) was an Austro- Hungarian musician and conductor. Jahn was also so long as no one before or after him at the Court Opera Vienna Opera House at age 17.

Work

Musical interaction

Career

Wilhelm Jahn was born in Hof / Moravia in the house ring ranked No. 11 ( 1st floor ) on 24 November 1835. About Jahns youth and training for musicians and conductors nothing more is known. Jahn had guest appearances in the Hungarian Temesvár as an opera singer and conductor, where he sang subjects all pitches and played many instruments in the orchestra. In addition, he led the orchestra as conductor in the opera houses of Amsterdam, Prague and Wiesbaden. On top of that Wilhelm Jahn was a talented director and possessed great administrative skills. As the place of the Court Opera in Vienna became vacant after Franz Jauner, we first thought of the great Wagnerian conductor Hans Richter as his successor, who worked in Vienna since 1875. However, this pointed to his previous position as director of the opera in Budapest no administrative ambitions more. Thus fell through the instigation of his friend, the professor of music history and critic Eduard Hanslick, the appeal to Jahn and the official handover took place on 15 October 1880.

Work at the Vienna Opera House

Wilhelm Jahns Directorate reached records in three ways. No court opera was so long in office as he namely 17 years. No one had so little enemies and critics like him and eventually none of the Directors had the repertoire of the house so enriched as Jahn. Alone from 1888 to 1896 he made ten operas in Vienna home forever. He also happens to the operas of Smetana, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Massenet, Humperdinck, and Delibes in Vienna triumphant successes. Johann Strauss ( son ), he opened the way to the opera (Ritter Pazman 1892 Die Fledermaus 1894). Wilhelm Jahn was said that he was particularly recognized the taste of the Viennese opera audience. He led all Wagner operas except Parsifal, which was reserved Bayreuth, in Vienna and needed to not a single guest artists.

The years 1888-1896 are considered heyday of its board of directors. Before the electric light was installed in 1887 in the Court Opera, which brought a complete change with it. With Hans Richter at his side Jahns name remained associated with many glamorous operas. In addition to Hans Richter Jahn were more outstanding conductors such as Wilhelm Gericke, Johann Fuchs, Franz Doppler, the ballet conductor Josef Bayer and ballet director Josef Haßreiter aside. Jahn also knew how to bring the best artists of the Vienna Opera, and had therefore the greatest successes. These included Theodor Reichmann, Emil Scaria, Hermann Winkelmann, Berta Ehn, Alois Ander, Marie Renard, Wilhelm Hesch, Ernest van Dyck and pink paper. Jahn was also a patron and discoverer of singers, he sought everywhere and also found. He searched in the relevant schools in the theaters of the province and on the operetta stages. He even looked in factories and workshops. He found, for example, Antonie bat, later a popular singer, as a worker in a printing company.

1889 Wilhelm Jahn was awarded the first honorary citizen title of the city court in Moravia.

1892 took place in Vienna's Prater, the International Music and Theatre Exhibition and Jahn knew how to use this important event accordingly. It was like a demonstration of the unity of the Habsburg Empire in the cultural field. One could there singing Italian opera during the five -month event to hear from Italian ensembles, Czech artist sang Czech operas in their native language and the Lviv Opera guested with Polish operas. Jahn also brought famous guest conductors to Vienna. This event brought the most interesting works in the Austrian capital and lasting influence on the Vienna art taste. Jahn also staged many operas personally like Manon, Werther or Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo. It was said excited as spirited and clever this pudgy, shapeless man every artist played for each gesture. For Paula Mark he is the dance of death Nedda ( Pagliacci ) invented and have pre-punched her.

The Directorate Jahn was one of the most brilliant periods of the Vienna Opera even by today's standards. He is next to his successor Gustav Mahler as one of the most successful opera directors Vienna.

In his last ailing Jahn and was increasingly afraid of people. He eventually died at the age of 64 years in Vienna.

His grave is located in Vienna's Central Cemetery (Group 0, number 1, number 26)