Otto Gerdes (born 20 January 1920 inCologne; died 15 June 1989) was a Germanconductor andrecord producer.
He studied music at theHochschule für Musik Köln, including conducting withHermann Abendroth. He conducted opera in Berlin, Dresden, Koblenz, Leipzig, and Munich. He also conducted the radio orchestras of Baden-Baden and Cologne and led concerts with theSächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. In 1956 he became a record producer forDeutsche Grammophon and in 1963 the label's artistic director. His conducting for that label began when he filled in for an ailing conductor, recording excerpts from the operaEugene Onegin.
He was dismissed at Deutsche Grammophon in the mid-1960s. The incident that led to his dismissal was recounted in Richard Osborne's 1998 biography ofHerbert von Karajan. Gerdes, fresh from a conducting assignment, addressed Karajan as one conductor to another with a "Herr Kollege" (my dear colleague).[dubious –discuss]
Gerdes conducted several works for record including the Prelude to Act 1 of Wagner'sDie Meistersinger, a completeTannhäuser (Dresden version) as well as Wagner's rarely recorded Symphony in C major. He also conducted a recording of the Brahms 4th Symphony.
Included in Gerdes's awards as a producer is aGrammy Award for Best Opera Recording forWagner'sSiegfried conducted by Karajan with theBerlin Philharmonic (1969).[1]
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