Rudolf Kempe

Rudolf Kempe (born with Dresden the June 14th 1910 - died with Zurich the May 12th 1976) was a German Leader , specialist in the post-romantic repertory germano- Austrian (Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, Johannes Brahms and, more still, Richard Strauss).

Biography

After musical studies in Dresden, it began like hautboïste with Dortmund, in 1928. Of 1929 with 1936, it was first hautboïste and pianist of the orchestra of Gewandhaus of Leipzig, where it started his career of chief at the 27 years age. After the war, it directed as principal chief and/or Musical director the orchestras of Dresden, London, Zurich and Munich as well as the opera of Munich, and fréquememment was fréquememment invited to New York and Milan. With its untimely death, it was Sergiu Celibidache which succeeded to him the head of the Bavarian phalange.

As leader, Kempe was attached to the beautiful sound, but without fetishism. Always vigorous, often shining, sometimes draft, it was a leader in the German tradition of the Kapellmeister : primarily serious (“tedious” for some), but also able, from its proximity with the instrumentalists, to show an undeniable imagination.

Selective discography

Richard Strauss : integral of the symphonic poems and the Concerto S (EMI)
Richard Wagner : the Masters Singers of Nuremberg and Lohengrin (EMI)
Johannes Brahms : a German requiem (EMI)

External bonds

French-speaking Site: biography and ''' discography supplement '''

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