Gerd Albrecht

Gerd Albrecht (19 July 1935 – 2 February 2014) was a German conductor.

Biography Albrecht was born in Essen, the son of the musicologist Hans Albrecht (1902–1961). He studied music in Kiel and in Hamburg, where his teachers included Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg. He was a first-prize winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors at age 22. His first post was as a repetiteur at the Stuttgart State Opera. Later, he became Senior Kapellmeister at the Staatstheater Mainz, and Generalmusikdirektor in Lübeck. He also held posts at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and the Hamburg State Opera.

His work in contemporary opera included conducting Aribert Reimann's Lear in both its world premiere and its United States premiere, as well as making the first commercial recording of the opera. His other commercial recordings include Robert Schumann's Genoveva and Manfred, and the first commercial recording of Hans Werner Henze's Gogo no Eiko (The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea) in its revised Japanese-language version.

Albrecht died at age 78 on 2 February 2014 in Berlin.

Czech Philharmonic controversy In 1991, the musicians of the Czech Philharmonic picked Albrecht as its principal conductor, the first non-Czech conductor named to the post, for a tenure scheduled to last seven years beginning in 1994. The orchestra had played a part in protesting the Soviet domination of their country and reorganized as a self-governing entity. The musician's selection of Albrecht effectively meant the replacing of Czech conductor Jiří Bělohlávek, who then in 1992 resigned from his position early. Consequently, by the time that he took up the post, the orchestra was already somewhat riven. Albrecht proved effective in improving the Czech Philharmonic's finances and at raising its international profile with foreign tours. He is also acknowledged to have been a musical success, and his recordings with the orchestra included music of Ervin Schulhoff. However, a series of political conflicts led to his early resignation.

In 1994, the Czech Philharmonic was invited to perform at the Vatican in a concert celebrating reconciliation between Roman Catholics and Jews. However, the invitation was to play under the American conductor Gilbert Levine, already known for his close relationship with the Vatican under Pope John Paul II and subsequently for the telecast, Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust. Albrecht vetoed the engagement, ostensibly because the orchestra was too busy, although other speculation on the actual reason for the refusal was that the Vatican did not invite Albrecht.

Other conducting work From 2000 to 2004, he was principal conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, with which he made commercial recordings for such labels as Chandos. In 2003, he caused controversy when he spoke from the podium at one concert to protest the US invasion of Iraq. He later apologized for the incident. In Japan, he served as principal conductor of Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2007, and became its conductor laureate after 2007.

Recordings of complete operas Berlioz, Les troyens, Albrecht/Dernesch/Ludwig/Lilowa/Chauvet/Schöne/Ghiuselev, 1976, live in Vienna, Gala Busoni, Arlecchino, Albrecht/Bellamy/Wörle/Lorenz/Pape/Lika, 1992, Capriccio Busoni, Turandot, Albrecht/Plech/Schreckenbach/Protschka/Pape, 1992, Capriccio Dvořák, Armida, Albrecht/Borowska/Ochman/Kříž/Fortune/Daniluk, 1995, live in Prague, Orfeo Dvořák, The Devil and Kate (Čert a Káča), Albrecht/Romanko/Breedt/Straka/Mikuláš, 2007, Orfeo Dvořák, Dimitrij, Albrecht/Hajóssyová/Ághová/Vodička/Kusnjer/Mikuláš, 1989, Supraphon Dvořák, Jakobín, Albrecht/Danková/Ághová/Lorenz/Lehotsky/Bronikowski/Stephinger, 2003, Orfeo Dvořák, King and Collier (Král a uhlíř), Albrecht/Ághová/Breedt/Lehotsky/Schäfer/Jenis/Mikuláš, 2005, live in Cologne, Orfeo Dvořák, Svatební košile, Albrecht/Ághová/Protschka/Kusnjer, 1991, live in Hamburg, Orfeo Dvořák, Vanda, Albrecht/Romanko/Tchistiakova/Breedt/Straka/Kusnjer/Kusnjer/Daniluk, 1999, Orfeo Gurlitt, Soldaten, Albrecht/Müller/Barainsky/Breedt/Harper/Mohr/Burt, 1998, Orfeo Gurlitt, Wozzeck, Albrecht/Lindsley/Wottrich/Wörle/Scharinger/Hermann, 1993, Crystal Halévy, La Juive, Albrecht/Ghazarian/Tokody/Carreras/Merritt/Siepi, 1981, live in Vienna, abridged, Legato Henze, The Bassarids, Albrecht/Lindsley/Armstrong/Riegel/Tear/Schmidt-A/Murray-W/Burt, 1986, Koch Henze, Das verratene Meer (Gogo no Eiko), Albrecht/Midorikawa/Takahashi/Mihara, 2006, live in Salzburg, Orfeo Hindemith, Cardillac, Albrecht/Schweizer/Schunk/Nimsgern/Stamm, 1988, Wergo Hindemith, Mathis der Maler, Albrecht/Rossmanith/Hass/Protschka/Kruse/Hermann/Stamm, 1989, Wergo Hindemith, Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen, Albrecht/Schnaut/Grundheber, 1986, Wergo Hindemith, Das Nusch-Nuschi, Albrecht/Schweizer/Lindsley/Sieber/Schreckenbach/Gahmlich/Knutson/Stamm/Halem, 1987, Wergo Hindemith, Sancta Susanna, Albrecht/Donath/Schnaut/Schreckenbach, 1984, Wergo Janáček, Osud, Albrecht/Ághová/Straka, 1995, live in Prague, Orfeo Krenek, Karl V, Albrecht/Jurinac/Ciesinski-Kr/Schwarz/Moser-T/Melchert/Schreier/Adam, 1980, live in Salzburg, Philips Liebermann, Freispruch für Medea, Albrecht/Pollet/Spingler/Kowalski/Haugland/Mist, 1995, live in Hamburg, Musiques Suisses Marschner, Hans Heiling, Albrecht/Zeumer/Schröder-Feinen/Gilles/Siukola/Weikl, 1972, live in Torino, Voce Massenet, Thérèse, Albrecht/Baltsa/Araiza/Fortune, 1981, live in Rome, Orfeo Mercadante, Il giuramento, Albrecht/Bernard/Baltsa/Carreras/Kerns, 1974, live in Berlin, House of Opera Mercadante, Il giuramento, Albrecht/Zampieri/Baltsa/Domingo/Kerns, 1979, live in Vienna, Orfeo Meyerbeer, L'africaine, Albrecht/Brunner/Arroyo/Lamberti/Milnes, 1977, live in Munich, Myto Puccini, Gianni Schicchi, Albrecht/Ghazarian/Lilowa/Ramiro/Berry, 1979, live in Vienna, Orfeo Puccini, Gianni Schicchi, Albrecht/Rossmanith/Dernesch/Ombuena Valls/Duesing, 1995, DVD, Hamburg, Encore Puccini, Suor Angelica, Albrecht/Lorengar/Meyer, 1979, live in Vienna, Bella Voce Puccini, Suor Angelica, Albrecht/Gallardo-Domâs/Dernesch, 1995, DVD, Hamburg, Encore Puccini, Il tabarro, Albrecht/Zschau/Atlantov/Bruson, 1979, live in Vienna, Bella Voce Puccini, Il tabarro, Albrecht/Daniels/Margison/Grundheber, 1995, DVD, Hamburg, Encore Reimann, Lear, Albrecht/Varady/Dernesch/Lorand/Knutson/Götz/Holm/Boysen/Fischer-Dieskau/Plöcker, 1978, live in Munich, DG Schnittke, Historia von D. Johann Fausten, Albrecht/Schwarz/Raunig/Büchner/Lorenz/Freier, 1995, live in Hamburg, RCA Schoeck, Penthesilea, Albrecht/Gessendorf/Marsh/Dernesch/Lipovšek/Hiestermann/Adam, 1982, live in Salzburg, Orfeo Schönberg, Erwartung, Albrecht/Nielsen, 2003, Chandos Schreker, Der ferne Klang, Albrecht/Schnaut/Juon/Wörle/Moser-T/Hermann/Nimsgern, 1990, Capriccio Schreker, Die Gezeichneten, Albrecht/Martin-Ja/Riegel/Becht/Adam/Meven, 1984, live in Salzburg, Orfeo Schreker, Der Schatzgräber, Albrecht/Schnaut/Kruse/Protschka/Haage/Helm/Stamm, 1989, live in Hamburg, abridged, Capriccio Schumann, Genoveva, Albrecht/Faulkner/Behle-R/Lewis-K/Stamm/Titus/Schultz, 1992, live in Hamburg, Orfeo Spohr, Jessonda, Albrecht/Studer/Soffel/Moser-T/Hermann/Hölle, 1985, live in Vienna, Voce Spohr, Jessonda, Albrecht/Varady/Behle-R/Moser-T/Fischer-Dieskau/Moll, 1990, live in Hamburg, abridged, Orfeo Spontini, Olimpie, Albrecht/Varady/Toczyska/Tagliavini/Fischer-Dieskau/Fortune, 1984, Orfeo Ullmann, Der zerbrochene Krug, Albrecht/Barainsky/Breedt/Künzli/Hermann, 1997, Orfeo Wolf, Der Corregidor, Albrecht/Donath/Soffel/Hollweg/Fischer-Dieskau/Halem, 1985, Koch Schwann Zemlinsky, Eine florentinische Tragödie, Albrecht/Soffel/Riegel/Sarabia, 1984, Schwann Zemlinsky, Der König Kandaules, Albrecht/Warren/O’Neal/Pederson, 1996, live in Hamburg, Capriccio Zemlinsky, Der Traumgörge, Albrecht/Martin-Ja/Protschka, 1988, Capriccio Zemlinsky, Der Zwerg, Albrecht/Nielsen/Studer/Haldas/Riegel/Weller, 1983, Schwann