Rudolf Schwarz (29 April 190530 January 1994) was an Austrian-born conductor of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

ancestry. He became a British citizen and spent the latter half of his life in England.

Biography

Early life

Schwarz was born in a

family in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

and at the age of six began piano lessons followed shortly by the violin. His father was opposed to his son's ambition to become a conductor. In order to get money for music lessons and gallery tickets at the Opera, he gave lessons himself.Brook, Donald. Rudolf Schwarz. In: ''International Gallery of Conductors.'' Rockliff Publishing Corporation Ltd, London, 1951, p179-187. He studied with the composers

Richard Robert Richard Robert (25 March 1861 – 1 February 1924 in Kaltenleutgeben)
Retrieved 28 August 2013

Hans Gál Hans Gál Officer of the Order of the British Empire, OBE (5 August 1890 – 3 October 1987) was an Austrian composer, pedagogue, musicologist, and author, who emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1938. Life Gál was born to a Jewish family in ...

and

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

. In 1922, at the age of seventeen, he played

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

in the

Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...

orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic, and he made his conducting debut in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

as assistant to Georg Szell in 1924. Schwarz also acted as director of the choral society in

Rheydt Rheydt () is a borough of the German city Mönchengladbach, located in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia. Until 1918 and then again from 1933 (due to a split from Mönchengladbach arranged by Joseph Goebbels, who was born there) through 1975 it ...

Conducting in Germany

After opera experience in Düsseldorf, Schwarz moved to

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

in 1927 as first conductor at the State Theatre alongside

Josef Krips Josef Alois Krips (8 April 1902 – 13 October 1974) was an Austrian conductor and violinist. Life and career Krips was born in Vienna. His father was Josef Jakob Krips, a medical doctor and amateur singer, and his mother was Aloisia, née Seit ...

and

Joseph Keilberth Joseph Keilberth (19 April 1908 – 20 July 1968) was a German conductor who specialised in opera. Career Keilberth began his career in the State Theatre of his native city, Karlsruhe, joining as a répétiteur in 1925 and conducting from 193 ...

. There, he conducted all Wagner operas except ''

Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner set to a German libretto by the composer, loosely based on the medieval 12th-century romance ''Tristan and Iseult'' by Gottfried von Stras ...

'', and led symphony concerts. The Civil Service Law of 7 April 1933 led to his dismissal by the Nazis because he was

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish. In 1936, he became a director of the ''Kulturbund Deutscher Juden'' (JKB) in Berlin, a German-Jewish cultural organisation backed by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry of

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...

, which allowed Jewish artists to perform for Jewish audiences. He also conducted in Gothenburg between 1936 and 1938. The

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

s imprisoned him from 1939 to 1940. When the JKB was dissolved in 1941, he was deported to Auschwitz, but

Wilhelm Furtwängler Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler ( , ; ; 25 January 188630 November 1954) was a German conductor and composer. He is regarded as one of the greatest Symphony, symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. He was a majo ...

's wife Zitla secured his release. He was then sent to Sachsenhausen and ended up in Belsen concentration camp in 1945.Patmore (2008) While at Auschwitz, he suffered a broken shoulder-blade, which inhibited his gestures as a conductor in later life.Griffiths
pp. 17–18
The effects of this injury on his conducting style can be seen in a DVD of him conducting the finale of the Brahms Violin Concerto with

David Oistrakh David Fyodorovich Oistrakh (; – 24 October 1974) was a Soviet Russian violinist, List of violists, violist, and Conducting, conductor. He was also Professor at the Moscow Conservatory, People's Artist of the USSR (1953), and Laureate of the ...

in May 1958. It is not clear why Schwarz did not attempt to leave Germany in 1939. Possible explanations include the security of his employment with JKB and the difficulty of finding work elsewhere.

Career in Britain

After the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Schwarz went to Sweden to recover from typhoid, and there met his future second wife Greta. In 1946 he received an offer to join Berlin Opera as conductor, which he refused. He was preparing to go to America when in 1947 his brother in London sent him an advertisement for a post in Bournemouth. After the trial concerts, the orchestra voted unanimously for his appointment in 1947 to lead the newly reformed Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, despite objections from the Musicians' Union which tried to prevent his appointment on the grounds that there were already too many émigré musicians in the country. He was central to rebuilding the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, with notable performances of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

's 9th Symphony,

Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

's '' The Song of the Earth'' with

Kathleen Ferrier Kathleen Mary Ferrier (22 April 19128 October 1953) was an English contralto singer who achieved an international reputation as a stage, concert and recording artist, with a repertoire extending from folksong and popular ballads to the class ...

and Richard Lewis, and

Arnold Bax Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax (8 November 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works, but he is best known for his orchestral music ...

's 3rd Symphony at the Festival Hall in 1951. The workload was immense, as Schwarz was required to lead 150 concerts in his first season. Schwarz received praise from

Thomas Beecham Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, (29 April 18798 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philh ...

as an "able conductor" for his work with the Bournemouth orchestra, and subsequently held Principal Conductor positions with the

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its adminis ...

(1951–1957) and the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. The ...

. With the BBC SO, he was praised for his efforts "to reach the truth of the music". However, in the 1961-1962 season his interpretation of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 was criticised in the press as "blatant misrepresentation", and as moving "from bad to worse". Leonard Isaacs of the BBC Music Division postulated "a concerted and premeditated effort by the gentlemen of the press to belittle chwarzon every possible occasion". In April 1961, William Glock, Controller of Music at the BBC, proposed a new scheme whereby Schwarz was to stand down as chief conductor in August 1962, and to continue subsequently as a guest conductor with the BBC SO. According to Nicholas Kenyon: : "Schwarz was delighted with the scheme – it would enable him to concentrate on the repertoire he loved, and work in the relative calm of the studio more than in the competitive atmosphere of the London concert hall where he had been uneasy ever since moving from the provinces". In 1964, Schwarz was appointed Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the

Northern Sinfonia Royal Northern Sinfonia is a British chamber orchestra, founded in Newcastle upon Tyne and currently based in Gateshead. For the first 46 years of its history the orchestra gave most of its concerts at the Newcastle City Hall. It also gave mont ...

, where he served until 1973. Schwarz returned to Bournemouth as a regular guest from 1970 to 1979, and also held guest appointments in Bergen, and with the

English Opera Group The English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the composer Benjamin Britten (along with John Piper, Eric Crozier and Anne Wood) for the purpose of presenting his and other, primarily British, composers' operat ...

and National Youth Orchestra. In June 1973 he was appointed a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE). Rudolf Schwarz died in London in 1994, aged 88.

Musicianship

Schwarz received much praise from Northern Sinfonia musicians who played under him. Violinist Martin Hughes said that his "sense of rhythm, structure and tempo was exceptional", and clarinettist George McDonald reflected that "he made the Sinfonia listen to themselves – blend with each other ... he helped form the Orchestra's style and gave them musical discipline." Oboist Janet Craxton praised his selflessness, while David Patmore considers that he "may not have been a great conductor, but he certainly was a great musician".

Simon Rattle Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British conductor with German citizenship. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rat ...

acknowledged Schwarz as a "formative influence" who taught him "the paramount importance of imposing his pulse on the music he played". According to Rattle, Schwarz never "gave any interpretation that didn’t have a real truth about it".

Recordings

Schwarz's 1958 recording of

's Symphony No. 5 with the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

originally for the ''Everest'' label has been highly praised. He conducted for many concerto recordings, as well as the Dvořák

Slavonic Dances The ''Slavonic Dances'' () are a series of 16 orchestral pieces composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1878 and 1886 and published in two sets as Op. 46 and Op. 72 respectively. Originally written for piano four hands, the ''Slavonic Dances' ...

(BBCSO), and

Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most pro ...

Hungarian Rhapsodies The Hungarian Rhapsodies, S.244, R.106 (, , ), are a set of 19 piano pieces based on Hungarian folk themes, composed by Franz Liszt during 1846–1853, and later in 1882 and 1885. Liszt also arranged versions for orchestra, piano duet and pia ...

(Philharmonia). He started and ended his recording career with the Bournemouth orchestra: several overtures in the early 1950s and an LP of

Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...

overtures in 1980 (all EMI). There are further broadcast recordings by Schwarz in the

British Library Sound Archive The British Library Sound Archive, formerly the British Institute of Recorded Sound; also known as the National Sound Archive (NSA), in London, England is among the largest collections of recorded sound in the world, including music, spoken word ...

References

Bibliography

* * (This article draws extensively on doctoral research by Charlotte Exon, University of Birmingham, 2004.)

External links

Hans Gál page (Early life)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwarz, Rudolf 1905 births 1994 deaths 20th-century Austrian people 20th-century British people 20th-century British conductors (music) Jewish classical musicians Austrian conductors (music) Austrian male conductors (music) British male conductors (music) Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Austrian Jews Austrian emigrants to the United Kingdom Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Musicians from Vienna British people of Austrian-Jewish descent 20th-century British male musicians Jewish British musicians Chief conductors of the BBC Symphony Orchestra Chief conductors of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Principal conductors of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra