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Musical Discussions
Topic: OK - Still sad though

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Posted by Romy the Cat on 10-16-2007

Another conductor whose recordings I recently discover (Got bless the Japan) one after another and keep astonish myself that Kegel is relatively little know or popular.

"Known in the United States primarily as the conductor of a surefire recording of Orff's Carmina Burana, Herbert Kegel was respected in Europe as a pivotal figure in establishing the works of such individual Modernists as Blacher, Dallapiccola, Dessau, Penderecki, and Nono in the concert hall and on discs. He was one of the first to champion Britten's War Requiem, while his recording of Schoenberg's Moses und Aron was instrumental in keeping this difficult and challenging work before the public. His involvement with Orff's music typifies the duality of a distinguished career whose impact is not yet fully appreciated and whose legacy remains to be assimilated, for beside the ever-popular Carmina Burana, Kegel also recorded -- superbly -- the remaining cantatas, Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite, speech-inflected works the composer regarded as parts of a single cycle of Trionfi and that look ahead to the uncompromising utterance of his Antigonae and Oedipus der Tyrann. Kegel studied at the Dresden Conservatory, where Karl Böhm was one of his teachers, from 1935 to 1940, beginning his career, after serving as a conscript during the war in 1946, as kapellmeister of the Volkstheater Rostock. From 1949 to 1978 he was associated with the Leipzig Radio Orchestra & Choir, becoming choirmaster, music director, and principal conductor of the Great Radio Orchestra and Radio Choir in 1953. He became principal conductor of the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra & Choir in 1960. In 1977 he was named principal conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic, a post he held until 1985. From 1985 until his death he frequently appeared as guest conductor at the Dresden and Leipzig opera houses, the Staatsoper Berlin, and the NHK Orchestra, Tokyo. Teaching engagements included a professorship with the Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschule für Musik in Leipzig from 1975 until 1978, and a Dresden master class in 1980. Kegel's grasp extended over the standard repertoire, from Bach to Stravinsky, though his center of interest revolved around the German Romantics, Bruckner and Mahler in particular, and the Modernists, great and minor -- Hartmann, Honegger, or Theodorakis no less than Bartók, Berg, and Hindemith -- with a smattering of such audience pleasers as Carmen and Margarethe (that is, Gounod's Faust for German audiences). Several recordings -- including Carmina Burana and Mahler's Symphony No. 4 -- feature distinguished solo work by Kegel's second wife, soprano Celestina Casapietra. His manner was without affectation or grandiosity, rhythmically alert and lyrically poised, always efficient and often inspired. He committed suicide in Dresden on November 20, 1990." ~ Adrian Corleonis, All Music Guide

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Namedrill?&name_id=56113&name_role=3

Of course anything “good” would be difficult to get in US (Europe?) and here is the wonderful source to hunt the Japans market:

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Studio/2891/kegel-dis.htm

Romy the caT

Posted by JANDL100 on 10-18-2007
Yup, Kegel is an excellent and under-appreciated conductor.

I have his complete Beethoven symphony set which are all very fine "middle of the road" performances.  

I also have him in Bruckner 5th and 8th (both with the Leipzig Radio Orch) and also two recordings of Bruckner 3rd symphony - one with the Leipzig Radio Orch (1978) and one with the Gewandhaus Orch (1986).   Also his Brahms 1st symphony (Leipzig, 1973) and Haydn 81 (Leipzig 1986).

His Bruckner is clear-headed and quite powerful.

Sadly, he does not seem to have been happy with the return to democracy in East Germany, as he killed himself very soon after the fall of the communist regime.

Posted by Romy the Cat on 10-18-2007
…but, I have no problem with suicides, in fact I think it is a healthy thing, but do I have problem how suicides are being sold to public. Yes, there are rumors that Kegel killed himself after he saw the demolition of the Berlin Wall - I do not buy all of it. All of it hyper-sensational and effective but the really is that that suicides decisions are brewing in person based upon much more complicated and meaningful reasons then that. So, when people say that Kegel killed himself because he hated Germany united, or Kabasta killed himself because he lost his job or Ferras killed himself because he got a scratch on his Strad, or Tchaikovsky killed himself because the shame of homosexuality I uselessly do not take all seriously. So, I do not fell anything “sadly” about Kegel demise – he did, and it was his biasness. Gabriel Marques use to say that person does not die what he should but only when he can….

Rgs, Romy the Cat

Posted by JANDL100 on 10-18-2007

I say "sadly" because he was a great musician and probably had much more great music to give us.  That is our loss - so I feel sad about it.

I am sure that you are right - suicide was his personal decision for his own personal reasons.


Posted by Romy the Cat on 10-18-2007
...nor for anyone else in that state. We humans are walking under the silent but deeply imbedded law of “pursuit of happiness” and Kegel coming suicides pursuit his happiness. If he felt that under his conditions, whatever they were, he would be better off then… hey … good for him. Wait until G W Bush get appointed for his third term and you will see me killing himself…  :-)

The caT

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