George Alexander Albrecht | |
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| Born | (1935-02-15)15 February 1935 Leuchtenburg,Prussia, Germany |
| Died | 21 December 2021(2021-12-21) (aged 86) |
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| Children | 5, includingMarc Albrecht |
| Father | Carl Albrecht |
| Relatives | Albrecht family |
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George Alexander Albrecht (15 February 1935 – 21 December 2021) was a German conductor and composer, who also worked as a musicologist and academic teacher. A prolific composer at a young age, he wasGeneralmusikdirektor (GMD) of theStaatsoper Hannover from 1965 for 30 years, where he led not only the majoroperas by Mozart andstageworks by Wagner, but contemporary composers, such as Aribert Reimann'sTroades in 1987. He was GMD of theNationaltheater Weimar from 1996, and taught at theHochschule für Musik Franz Liszt, Weimar. Albrecht promoted the works of neglected composers such asWilhelm Furtwängler,Hans Pfitzner, andErwin Schulhoff.
In retirement, he focused on composing again. Hisfairy-tale operaDie Schneekönigin, after Andersen's "The Snow Queen", was premiered in Weimar in 2015. HisRequiem für Syrien for soloists, choir and orchestra was first performed in Dresden in 2018 by theDresdner Philharmonie, and his First Symphony "Sinfonia di due Mondi" formezzo-soprano and large orchestra was premiered in 2019 by theStaatskapelle Weimar, conducted by his sonMarc Albrecht.
Albrecht was born in the Leuchtenburg part ofOsterholz,Hanover, Germany,[1] the son of psychologist, psychotherapist and physicianCarl Albrecht.[2] He was a member of theAlbrecht family: His brotherErnst Albrecht (1930–2014) was a politician, and EU Commission PresidentUrsula von der Leyen was his niece.[3] He was a choirboy at theChurch of Our Lady, Bremen.[4]
At age 11, in October 1946, Albrecht wrote his first composition[5] and later studied piano withRudolf Hindemith.[6] In 1949, he conducted his first concert.[7] Albrecht studied violin, piano, and composition withPaul van Kempen inSiena andHilversum,[8][9] and in 1954 he received thePrix d'excellence of theAccademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena.[7] At the age of 24, he became arépétiteur at theTheater Bremen (1958–1961).[1] In 1958, Rudolf Hindemith's operaDes Kaisers neue Kleider after Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes" was premiered in Bremen.[6] From 1961 to 1965, he was first conductor at theLandestheater Hannover, with theNiedersächsisches Staatsorchester Hannover.[1][10]
In 1965, Albrecht becameGeneralmusikdirektor (GMD) of theStaatsoper Hannover, at age 29 then the youngest GMD in Germany.[1] He focused on the symphonies ofGustav Mahler[11] andAnton Bruckner.[1] He programmed all majoroperas by Mozart andstageworks by Wagner.[5] Albrecht performed Wagner'sDer Ring des Nibelungen staged byintendantHans-Peter Lehmann with sets and costumes byEkkehard Grübler.[12] In 1983, he revived Marschner'sHans Heiling;[12][13] an opera whose composer had also been conductor at the Hannover opera. Albrecht then conducted some of the more infrequently presented operas, like Janáček'sJenufa, Handel'sJephta andHercules, Wolf-Ferrari'sSly and Alban Berg'sLulu.[12] He introducedcontemporary composers,[5][14] conducting Aribert Reimann'sTroades in 1987,[15] and Bernd Alois Zimmermann'sDie Soldaten in 1989.[5][7][16] He conducted a production of Schoenberg'sMoses und Aron, staged byGeorge Tabori, for both Hannover andOper Leipzig.[7] He worked together with an ensemble of singers includingIsoldé Elchlepp,Renate Behle andWaltraud Meier.[12] Albrecht concluded his tenure in Hannover with the 1992/93 season.[1]
Albrecht was guest conductor of theBerlin Philharmonic andMunich Philharmonic, theBamberg Symphony and theLeipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.[7] He made further guest appearances in New York, St. Petersburg, Tokyo and Barcelona.[17] He conducted Wagner'sDer fliegende Holländer at theVienna State Opera in 1985, and returned for other stage works by Wagner.[18] From 1990 to 1995, Albrecht was a regular guest conductor of theSemperoper inDresden,[7] where his work included conducting the Tabori production ofMoses und Aron in 1994.[7] As the 24th successor of KapellmeisterJohann Sebastian Bach, he served as GMD of theDeutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar from 1996 to 2002.[19] On 1 January 2002, he had a cardiac arrest on stage at New Year's Concert conducting Beethoven'sNinth Symphony.[20] Following 2002, he was honorary conductor[4] and returned to composing.[3]
Albrecht championed the music ofWilhelm Furtwängler,[3]Hans Pfitzner,[21] andErwin Schulhoff among others.[14] He taught at theMusikhochschule Hannover andHochschule für Musik Franz Liszt, Weimar.[22][20]
Albrecht married twice and became a father five times.[19][20] The conductorMarc Albrecht is his son from his marriage to Corinne, a ballet dancer who became a physiotherapist.[3][23] He was later married to pianist Liese Klahn, daughter ofErich Klahn [de].[19][24] Albrecht became involved inhospice work and was a devoutCatholic.[20] In spring 2021, he and his wife moved fromWeimar toSouthern Germany.[19]
He died on 21 December 2021, at the age of 86.[3][25][26][27]
Albrecht's compositions have been described as basically tonal, traditional andneo-romantic.[29] At the age of 22, Albrecht had already composed 116 works.[7][29] He returned to composing in 2009, and wrote astring trio for his daughters, followed by apiano quintet.[5] He wrote fivestring quartets.[30] Commissioned bySilvius von Kessel, he wrote amotet for the Dombergchor Erfurt about the life ofSaint Elisabeth. He composed many lieder for different ensembles, inspired by poetry ofGerhard Altenbourg,Ernst Barlach,Paul Celan,Gerhart Hauptmann andErich Kästner's "Die 13 Monate", and a cycle setting texts fromBuchenwald concentration camp.[5]
Albrecht composed an opera for childrenDie Schneekönigin, after Andersen's fairy-tale "The Snow Queen", initiated byGudrun Schröfel, the conductor of theMädchenchor Hannover.[5][31] It was premiered in Weimar in 2015.[32] HisRequiem für Syrien (Requiem for Syria) for soloists, choir and orchestra was first performed in Dresden in June 2018 by theDresdner Philharmonie conducted byMichael Sanderling.[33] His First Symphony "Sinfonia di due Mondi" formezzo-soprano and large orchestra on texts byUlla Hahn received its world premiere in August 2019 by theStaatskapelle Weimar, conducted by his sonMarc Albrecht.[29]
His works include:[5]
Three CDs with all of Furtwängler's symphonies have been released with theStaatskapelle Weimar.[36][37][38]
| Preceded by | Generalmusikdirektor, Staatsoper Hannover 1965–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Hans-Peter Frank | Chief Conductor, Staatskapelle Weimar 1996–2002 | Succeeded by |
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