Wilhelm Schüchter
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Schüchter was a German conductor. He was Generalmusikdirektor in Dortmund
and left a legacy of opera recordings.
piano, composition with Philipp Jarnach
, and orchestral conducting with Hermann Abendroth
. His debut was at the Landestheater Coburg
Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana
and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci
.
In 1940 he was at the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg
, a year later he worked at the Stadttheater Aachen
under Herbert von Karajan
. In 1943 he was first Kapellmeister
of the Theater am Nollendorfplatz
in Berlin
. From 1945 to 1957 he was second conductor under Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
of the Sinfonieorchester von Radio Hamburg, in 1956 named NDR Sinfonieorchester
. From 1953 to 1955 he was also principal conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie
in Herford. Since 1959 he conducted the NHK Symphony Orchestra
. His last position was in 1962 Generalmusikdirektor of the Dortmunder Philharmoniker
, since 1966 also Intendant
of the Dortmund Opera. He improved the quality of the orchestra and opened the new opera house with a performance of Der Rosenkavalier
of Strauss, with Elisabeth Grümmer
as Marschallin, Teresa Żylis-Gara
as Octavian and Kurt Böhme
as Ochs. In 1967 he conducted the premiere of the opera Eli of Walter Steffens after the drama of Nelly Sachs
, a commission of the city of Dortmund.
's organ concertos with Geraint Jones and the Philharmonia Orchestra
.
Schüchter recorded operas and excerpts of operas (Querschnitte) for EMI
, typically sung in German by notable soloists such as Elisabeth Grümmer
and Erika Köth
. In 1951 he recorded Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer with Hans Hotter
in the title role, Kurt Böhme
as Daland, Helene Werth as Senta, Bernd Aldenhoff
as Erik, Res Fischer
as Mary and Helmut Krebs
as Steuermann, with North German Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir
. In 1953 he recorded, again with Chor und Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks, Wagner's Lohengrin
with Rudolf Schock
in the title role, Gottlob Frick
as Heinrich, Maud Cunitz as Elsa, Josef Metternich
as Telramund, Margarete Klose
as Ortrud. In 1953 he conducted Puccini's Tosca
, sung in German by Carla Martinis
in the title role, Schock as Cavaradossi, and Josef Metternich
as Scarpia. In 1955 he recorded Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride
with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, the chorus of the Landestheater Hannover, Erna Berger
, Schock, Frick, Hanns-Heinz Nissen, Christa Ludwig
, Theodor Schlott and Marga Höffgen. In 1955 he also recorded Der Rosenkavalier with the Berlin Philharmonic, Leonie Rysanek
as Marschallin, Elisabeth Grümmer
as Octavian, Erika Köth
as Sophie, Gustav Neidlinger
as Ochs, Sieglinde Wagner
as Annina and Josef Traxel
as the singer.
In the 1960s he recorded excerpts of operas, Flotow's Martha
, Lortzing's Undine
(with Lisa Otto
) and Der Wildschütz
, and Weber's Oberon
with Jess Thomas
as Hüon and Ingrid Bjoner
as Rezia. With the Deutsche Oper Berlin
he recorded excerpts of Gounod's Margarete
(with Hilde Güden), Mascagni's Deutsche Oper Berlin
with Rysanek, Schock and Metternich, and Nicolai's Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor with Köth, Frick and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
.
He also conducted radio productions, namely for the NDR
and the WDR.
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
and left a legacy of opera recordings.
Professional career
Schüchter studied at the Hochschule für Musik KölnHochschule für Musik Köln
The Cologne University of Music is a music college in Cologne, and Germany's largest academy of music.-History:The academy was founded by Ferdinand Hiller in 1850 as Conservatorium der Musik in Coeln...
piano, composition with Philipp Jarnach
Philipp Jarnach
Philipp Jarnach was considered in the 1920s to be one of the most important composers of modern music....
, and orchestral conducting with Hermann Abendroth
Hermann Abendroth
Hermann Paul Maximilian Abendroth was a German conductor.-Early life:Abendroth was born on 19 January 1883, at Frankfurt, Germany, belonging to a family which had already produced other artistic figures of divers disciplines...
. His debut was at the Landestheater Coburg
Coburg
Coburg is a town located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany. Its 2005 population was 42,015. Long one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined with Bavaria by popular vote in 1920...
Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana
Cavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci
Pagliacci
Pagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe...
.
In 1940 he was at the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg
Mainfranken Theater Würzburg
Mainfranken Theater Würzburg is a theatre in Bavaria, Germany....
, a year later he worked at the Stadttheater Aachen
Theater Aachen
Theater Aachen is a theatre in Aachen, Germany. It is the principal venue in that city for operas, musical theatre, plays, and concerts. It is the home of the Aachen Symphony Orchestra. Construction on the original theatre began in 1822 and it opened on 15 May 1825...
under Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...
. In 1943 he was first Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle and Meister . The words Kapelle and Meister derive from the Latin: capella and magister...
of the Theater am Nollendorfplatz
Neues Schauspielhaus
The Neues Schauspielhaus on Nollendorfplatz in the Schöneberg district of Berlin was built in 1905 as a theatre and concert hall in the then-fashionable Art Nouveau style...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. From 1945 to 1957 he was second conductor under Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt was a German conductor and composer.-Early life:Born in Berlin, he studied music in Heidelberg and Münster. He was also a composition student with Franz Schreker at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik, and received a doctorate in 1923.-Career:He was a repetiteur at the...
of the Sinfonieorchester von Radio Hamburg, in 1956 named NDR Sinfonieorchester
North German Radio Symphony Orchestra
The North German Radio Symphony Orchestra is a German orchestra, the symphony orchestra of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk in Hamburg....
. From 1953 to 1955 he was also principal conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie
Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie
The Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie is a German symphony orchestra based in Herford. It was founded in 1950 and, along with Philharmonie Südwestfalen and Landesjugendorchester NRW, is one of the 'official' orchestras of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia...
in Herford. Since 1959 he conducted the NHK Symphony Orchestra
NHK Symphony Orchestra
The in Tokyo, Japan began as the New Symphony Orchestra on October 5, 1926 and was the country's first professional symphony orchestra. Later, it changed its name to Japan Symphony Orchestra and in 1951, after receiving financial support from NHK, it took its current name...
. His last position was in 1962 Generalmusikdirektor of the Dortmunder Philharmoniker
Dortmunder Philharmoniker
The Dortmunder Philharmoniker are a German symphony orchestra based in Dortmund. The orchestra of the Theater Dortmund performs both opera in the Opernhaus Dortmund and concert in the Konzerthaus Dortmund...
, since 1966 also Intendant
Intendant
The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
of the Dortmund Opera. He improved the quality of the orchestra and opened the new opera house with a performance of Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
of Strauss, with Elisabeth Grümmer
Elisabeth Grümmer
Elisabeth Schilz Grümmer was a German operatic lyric soprano.She was born at Niederjeutz, near Diedenhofen, Alsace-Lorraine to German parents...
as Marschallin, Teresa Żylis-Gara
Teresa Zylis-Gara
Teresa Żylis-Gara is a Polish operatic soprano who had a major international career during the 1950s through the 1990s...
as Octavian and Kurt Böhme
Kurt Böhme
Kurt Böhme was a German bass.He was born in Dresden, Germany, where he studied with Adolf Kluge at the Dresden Conservatory. He made his debut in 1930 in Bautzen as Kaspar, one of his most important roles further on...
as Ochs. In 1967 he conducted the premiere of the opera Eli of Walter Steffens after the drama of Nelly Sachs
Nelly Sachs
Nelly Sachs was a Jewish German poet and playwright whose experiences resulting from the rise of the Nazis in World War II Europe transformed her into a poignant spokeswoman for the grief and yearnings of her fellow Jews...
, a commission of the city of Dortmund.
Discography
In 1954 he conducted recordings of HandelHANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's organ concertos with Geraint Jones and the Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
.
Schüchter recorded operas and excerpts of operas (Querschnitte) for EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, typically sung in German by notable soloists such as Elisabeth Grümmer
Elisabeth Grümmer
Elisabeth Schilz Grümmer was a German operatic lyric soprano.She was born at Niederjeutz, near Diedenhofen, Alsace-Lorraine to German parents...
and Erika Köth
Erika Köth
Erika Köth was a German operatic high coloratura soprano, particularly associated with the roles of Zerbinetta and Zerlina....
. In 1951 he recorded Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer with Hans Hotter
Hans Hotter
Hans Hotter was a German operatic bass-baritone, admired internationally after World War II for the power, beauty, and intelligence of his singing, especially in Wagner operas. He was extremely tall and his appearance was striking because of his high, narrow face, wide mouth, and big, aquiline nose...
in the title role, Kurt Böhme
Kurt Böhme
Kurt Böhme was a German bass.He was born in Dresden, Germany, where he studied with Adolf Kluge at the Dresden Conservatory. He made his debut in 1930 in Bautzen as Kaspar, one of his most important roles further on...
as Daland, Helene Werth as Senta, Bernd Aldenhoff
Bernd Aldenhoff
Bernd Aldenhoff was a German Heldentenor.He was born in 1908 in Duisburg and was raised in an orphanage in the Rhineland....
as Erik, Res Fischer
Res Fischer
Res Fischer was one of the few true German contraltos of the 1930s and 1940s, and was one of the most powerful singing-actresses of her day....
as Mary and Helmut Krebs
Helmut Krebs
Helmut Krebs was a distinguished German tenor in opera and concert, who sang a wide range of roles from Baroque to contemporary works.-Professional career:...
as Steuermann, with North German Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir
North German Radio Symphony Orchestra
The North German Radio Symphony Orchestra is a German orchestra, the symphony orchestra of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk in Hamburg....
. In 1953 he recorded, again with Chor und Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks, Wagner's Lohengrin
Lohengrin (opera)
Lohengrin is a romantic opera in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself...
with Rudolf Schock
Rudolf Schock
Rudolf Johann Schock was a German tenor.He sang a wide repertory from operetta to Lohengrin, recording among others opera and lieder, doing television, radio and film work. Slim and handsome, he made many films.His voice fell almost into the heldentenor fach but was smaller and more...
in the title role, Gottlob Frick
Gottlob Frick
Gottlob Frick was a German bass who sang in opera. He was known for his wide repertory including Wagner and Mozart roles, as well as those of Nicolai and Lortzing.-Career:...
as Heinrich, Maud Cunitz as Elsa, Josef Metternich
Josef Metternich
Josef Metternich was a German operatic baritone.Metternich was born in Hermühlheim, near Cologne, he studied in Cologne and Berlin, and sang with the Cologne and Bonn choruses, before making his solo debut in 1941 with the Berlin State Opera in Lohengrin, but his career was delayed by the war, it...
as Telramund, Margarete Klose
Margarete Klose
Margarete Klose, , was a German operatic mezzo-soprano. Her 'official' year of birth was 1902.- Life :...
as Ortrud. In 1953 he conducted Puccini's Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
, sung in German by Carla Martinis
Carla Martinis
Carla Martinis was a Croatian operatic soprano particularly associated with the Italian repertoire.-Biography:...
in the title role, Schock as Cavaradossi, and Josef Metternich
Josef Metternich
Josef Metternich was a German operatic baritone.Metternich was born in Hermühlheim, near Cologne, he studied in Cologne and Berlin, and sang with the Cologne and Bonn choruses, before making his solo debut in 1941 with the Berlin State Opera in Lohengrin, but his career was delayed by the war, it...
as Scarpia. In 1955 he recorded Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863–66, and first performed at the...
with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, the chorus of the Landestheater Hannover, Erna Berger
Erna Berger
Erna Berger , was a prominent German coloratura lyric soprano. She is most famous for her Queen of the Night and her Konstanze....
, Schock, Frick, Hanns-Heinz Nissen, Christa Ludwig
Christa Ludwig
Christa Ludwig is a retired German mezzo-soprano, distinguished for her performances of opera, Lieder, oratorio and other major religious works like masses and passions, and solos contained in symphonic literature...
, Theodor Schlott and Marga Höffgen. In 1955 he also recorded Der Rosenkavalier with the Berlin Philharmonic, Leonie Rysanek
Leonie Rysanek
Leopoldine "Leonie" Rysanek was an Austrian dramatic soprano.-Biography:Rysanek was born in Vienna and made her operatic debut in 1949 in Innsbruck. In 1951 the Bayreuth Festival reopened and the new leader Wieland Wagner asked her to sing Sieglinde...
as Marschallin, Elisabeth Grümmer
Elisabeth Grümmer
Elisabeth Schilz Grümmer was a German operatic lyric soprano.She was born at Niederjeutz, near Diedenhofen, Alsace-Lorraine to German parents...
as Octavian, Erika Köth
Erika Köth
Erika Köth was a German operatic high coloratura soprano, particularly associated with the roles of Zerbinetta and Zerlina....
as Sophie, Gustav Neidlinger
Gustav Neidlinger
Gustav Neidlinger was a German bass-baritone, who was most famous for playing Wagner's "howling-and-spitting" villains. Born in Mainz, Neidlinger studied at the conservatory in Frankfurt, where he was trained by Otto Rottsieper...
as Ochs, Sieglinde Wagner
Sieglinde Wagner
Sieglinde Wagner was an Austrian operatic contralto, who could also sing mezzo-soprano roles....
as Annina and Josef Traxel
Josef Traxel
Josef Traxel was a German operatic tenor, particularly associated with Mozart roles and the German repertory....
as the singer.
In the 1960s he recorded excerpts of operas, Flotow's Martha
Martha (opera)
Martha, oder Der Markt zu Richmond is a 'romantic comic' opera in four acts by Friedrich von Flotow, set to a German libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Riese and based on a story by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges....
, Lortzing's Undine
Undine (Lortzing)
Undine is an opera in four acts by Albert Lortzing. The German libretto was by the composer after Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué's story of the same name....
(with Lisa Otto
Lisa Otto
Lisa Otto is a German operatic soprano, particularly associated with soubrette and light coloratura roles. She was born in Dresden....
) and Der Wildschütz
Der Wildschütz
Der Wildschütz oder Die Stimme der Natur is a German Komische Oper, or comic opera, in three acts by Albert Lortzing from a libretto by the composer adapted from the comedy Der Rehbock, oder Die schuldlosen Schuldbewussten by August von Kotzebue...
, and Weber's Oberon
Oberon (opera)
Oberon, or The Elf King's Oath is a 3-act romantic opera in English with spoken dialogue and music by Carl Maria von Weber. The libretto by James Robinson Planche was based on a German poem, Oberon, by Christoph Martin Wieland, which itself was based on the epic romance Huon de Bordeaux, a French...
with Jess Thomas
Jess Thomas
Jess Thomas was an American operatic tenor, best known for his Wagner singing.-Biography:Jess Floyd Thomas was born in Hot Springs, South Dakota. As a child he took part in various musical activities and later studied psychology at the University of Nebraska and Stanford University. He was...
as Hüon and Ingrid Bjoner
Ingrid Bjoner
Ingrid Kristine Bjoner Pierpoint was a Norwegian soprano who had a prolific international opera career between 1956 and 1990. She was particularly celebrated for her portrayal of Wagnerian heroines and for her performances in operas by Richard Strauss...
as Rezia. With the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
he recorded excerpts of Gounod's Margarete
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
(with Hilde Güden), Mascagni's Deutsche Oper Berlin
Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
with Rysanek, Schock and Metternich, and Nicolai's Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor with Köth, Frick and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a retired German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous lieder performers of the post-war period and "one of the supreme vocal artists of the 20th century"...
.
He also conducted radio productions, namely for the NDR
Norddeutscher Rundfunk
Norddeutscher Rundfunk is a public radio and television broadcaster, based in Hamburg. In addition to the city-state of Hamburg, NDR transmits for the German states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein...
and the WDR.
Literature
- Rudolf Schroeder: Das Philharmonische Orchester der Stadt Dortmund. Zwölf Jahre Wilhelm Schüchter 1962–1974. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des städtischen Musiklebens. Rabe, Dortmund 1982.
- Fred K. Prieberg: Handbuch Deutsche Musiker 1933–1945. Kiel 2004, S. 6342 (CD-ROM-Lexikon).
External links
- Schüchter, Wilhelm (1911–1974), Dirigent bmlo bayerisches musiker lexikon online, 2011
- Wilhelm Schüchter operatic discography
- Entries for Wilhelm Schüchter on WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...