Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter (September 15, 1876 - February 17, 1962) was a conductor and composer. He was born in Berlin, but moved to several countries between 1933 and 1939, finally settling in the USA. His original name was Bruno Walter Schlesinger, but he dropped his surname.
Like Otto Klemperer, Walter worked with Mahler, and his performances of Mahler's works are considered outstanding, particularly his recording of the Ninth Symphony, the first performance of which he was privileged to give.
He also gave the first performance of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, which he later recorded in a famous recording with Kathleen Ferrier. Other first performances by Walter include Pfitzner's Der arme Heinrich.
He performed the works of another Viennese composer, Anton Bruckner, and his recording of that composer's Ninth Symphony is also a landmark performance.
Walter was a distinguished conductor of music from the classical period,
and his recorded performances of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven are well loved. He also directed opera, and gave productions of Mozart operas at the Metropolitan Opera which are now available on CD, together with his performances of Beethoven's Fidelio.
Discography
Walter's discography includes:
- Beethoven: Symphonies 1-9, with the Columbia SO
- Beethoven: Fidelio
- Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique, with The NBC Symphony
- Brahms: Academic Festival Overture, with the Columbia SO
- Brahms: Tragic Overture, with the Columbia SO
- Brahms: Variations on the St Anthony Chorale, with the Columbia SO
- Bruckner: Symphony No 7, with the Columbia SO
- Dvorak: Symphonies Nos 8 and 9, with the Columbia SO
- Mahler: Symphony No 9
- Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde with Kathleen Ferrier
- Mozart: Symphonies Nos 35, 36, and 38-41, with the Columbia SO
- Mozart: Don Giovanni, with the Metropolitan Opera
- Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
