The Sinfonieorchester Aachen is the concert and opera orchestra of the

Theater Aachen Theater Aachen is a theatre in Aachen, Germany. It is the principal venue in that city for operas, musical theatre and plays. It is the home of the Sinfonieorchester Aachen. The original project was by Johann Peter Cremer, later altered by Ka ...

. It consists of about 70 musicians and performs about 140 times a year. The regular symphony concerts take place in the .

History

The Sinfonieorchester Aachen, formerly known as Städtisches Orchester Aachen, is one of the oldest orchestras in Germany that is directed by the city. In the beginning it consisted of military musicians of the city guard, supported by part-time string players. It was not until 1771 that the ''musicians'' applied for the establishment and performance of so-called ''concerts for the amusement of the respectable people'', which had not existed in this form in Aachen before. In 1782 they finally got the new Redoute in Aachen's Komphausbadstraße, built by as a concert hall. In 1787 Georg Zethner became the first

Kapellmeister ( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...

of the symphony orchestra. For the performance of Haydn's Oratorio '' The Creation'' in 1803, about half of the total of 48 orchestra members had been invited from outside to join the orchestra. On the occasion of the inauguration of the new municipal theatre on 28 March 1825 as part of the eighth Niederrheinisches Musikfest, which was held for the first time in Aachen, the orchestra including the choir was increased to 422 members in order to be able to perform under the direction of

Ferdinand Ries Ferdinand Ries (baptised 28 November 1784 – 13 January 1838) was a German composer. Ries was a friend, pupil and secretary of Ludwig van Beethoven. He composed eight symphony, symphonies, a violin concerto, nine piano concertos (the first ...

. to be able to perform Beethoven's ''

Symphony No. 9 Symphony No. 9 most commonly refers to: * Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven) in D minor (Op. 125, ''Choral'') by Ludwig van Beethoven, 1822–24 * Symphony No. 9 (Dvořák) in E minor (Op. 95, B. 178, ''From the New World'') by Antonín Dvořák, 1893 ...

'', although at that time some difficult passages were discreetly omitted. From then on, the orchestra regularly took part in this music festival, which was held until 1958, alternating between the cities of Elberfeld, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Aachen. It was occasionally conducted by foreign guest conductors such as

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...

Julius Rietz August Wilhelm Julius Rietz (28 December 1812 – 12 September 1877) was a German composer, conductor, cellist, and teacher. His students included Woldemar Bargiel, Salomon Jadassohn, Arthur O'Leary, and (by far the most celebrated) Sir Arthu ...

Max Bruch Max Bruch (6 January 1838 – 2 October 1920) was a German Romantic Music, Romantic composer, violinist, teacher, and conductor who wrote more than 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a staple of the violin ...

Carl Reinecke Carl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke (23 June 182410 March 1910) was a German composer, conductor, and pianist in the mid-Romantic era. Biography Reinecke was born in what is today the Hamburg district of Altona; technically he was born a Dane, as u ...

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 ...

Hans Pfitzner Hans Erich Pfitzner (5 May 1869 – 22 May 1949) was a German composer, conductor and polemicist who was a self-described anti-modernist. His best known work is the post-Romantic opera ''Palestrina'' (1917), loosely based on the life of the ...

Clemens Krauss Clemens Heinrich Krauss (31 March 189316 May 1954) was an Austrian conducting, conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss and Richard Wagner. He founded the Vienna New Year's Concert ...

and

Felix Weingartner Paul Felix Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg (2 June 1863 – 7 May 1942) was an Austrian Conducting, conductor, composer and pianist. Life and career Weingartner was born in Zadar, Zara, Kingdom of Dalmatia, Dalmatia, Austrian Empire (now ...

. Guest performers such as the only 12-year-old

César Franck César Auguste Jean Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in present-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of h ...

also appeared more and more frequently. (1835), Johann Strauss, father (1836) or

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera ''The Tales of Hoffmann''. He was a p ...

(1843) with the orchestra. In 1841, the symphony orchestra made its first major tour abroad, leading to France. After the foundation of the ''Aachener Instrumentalverein'' in 1844, which was to strengthen the city orchestra, the city council decided in 1852 to transform the orchestra, which was still made up of recreational musicians, into a permanent institution, which now employed professional musicians on a salaried basis. The Aachen Symphony Orchestra was thus the first of its kind in the

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

. Between 1862 and 1864, the musicians found a temporary home in the in Aachen before they were able to settle down permanently in the theatre building. From this time on, the orchestra also offered regular winter subscriptions, musical project weeks and, from 1910, the well-known spa concerts. Depending on the programme, they were accompanied by various choral societies and choirs, which had been formed in large numbers in those years. To support the orchestra and as a link to the public, the "Gesellschaft der Theater- und Musikfreunde Aachen" was founded in 1924. In the meantime, the society has changed its name to ''accelerando – Freunde des Sinfonieorchester Aachen e.V''. During the Second World War, concert operations were maintained as far as possible. However, some of the performances took place in the auditorium or Talbothalle of the

RWTH Aachen RWTH Aachen University (), in German ''Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen'', is a German public research university located in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With more than 47,000 students enrolled in 144 study prog ...

and in the

Aachen Cathedral Aachen Cathedral () is a Catholic Church, Catholic church in Aachen, Germany and the cathedral of the Diocese of Aachen. One of the oldest cathedral buildings in Europe, it was constructed as the royal chapel of the Palace of Aachen of Holy Rom ...

. After the war, the orchestra began to perform in a fortnightly rhythm from 1945 onwards, with performances from the Cathedral Music series. In 1946, it performed at the first music festival in the

Steinfeld Abbey Steinfeld Abbey (''Kloster Steinfeld'') is a former Premonstratensian monastery, now a Salvatorian convent, with an important basilica, in Steinfeld in Kall, Germany, Kall, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. History The origins of the site go back ...

. After the reopening of the municipal theatre in 1951, the symphony orchestra used it as a concert hall. In the same year, it also resumed the spa concerts which had been interrupted during the war, and from 1958 it took over the musical arrangement of the again. In addition, in the following years it gave numerous guest appearances at home and abroad as well as regular joint events with the Aachener Domchor, the , the Aachener Bachverein, and the . Some later very famous conductors like

Fritz Busch Fritz Busch (13 March 1890 – 14 September 1951) was a German conductor. Busch was born in Siegen to a musical family and studied at the Cologne Conservatory. After army service in the First World War, he was appointed to senior posts in two G ...

Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan (; born ''Heribert Adolf Ernst Karajan''; 5 April 1908 – 16 July 1989) was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, ...

and

Wolfgang Sawallisch Wolfgang Sawallisch (26 August 1923 – 22 February 2013) was a German conductor and pianist. Biography Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich, the son of Maria and Wilhelm Sawallisch. His father was director of the Hamburg-Bremer-Feuerversich ...

started their career in Aachen.

Kapellmeister and music directors

* 1787–1794 Georg Zethner (municipal Kapellmeister) * 1804–1823 Karl Matthias Engels * 1823–1825 Paul Kreutzer (new title: Municipal Director of Music) * 1825–1827 Justus Amadeus Lecerf * 1828–1832 Wilhelm Telle * 1834–1835

* 1835–1840

Anton Felix Schindler Anton Felix Schindler (13 June 1795 – 16 January 1864) was an Austrian law clerk and associate, secretary, and early biographer of Ludwig van Beethoven. Life Schindler was born on 13 June 1795 in Medlov. He moved to Vienna in 1813 to study l ...

(at the same time also at the Aachener Dom) * 1841–1842 Wenzel Heinrich Veit * 1842–1857 Karl von Turanyi * 1858–1865

Franz Wüllner Franz Wüllner (28 January 1832 – 7 September 1902) was a German composer and conductor. He led the premieres of Wagner's ''Das Rheingold'' and ''Die Walküre'', but was much criticized by Wagner himself, who greatly preferred the more celebrate ...

* 1865–1883 * 1884–1887 Julius Kniese * 1887–1912 Eberhard Schwickerath (1893–1898

Leo Blech Leo Blech (21 April 1871 – 25 August 1958) was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Opernhaus (later the Berlin State Opera / Staatsoper Unter den Linden) from 1906 to 1937, and late ...

, Kapellmeister) * 1912–1919

* 1920–1935

Peter Raabe Peter Raabe (27 November 1872 – 12 April 1945) was a German people, German composer and Conductor (music), conductor. Biography Raabe graduated from 3 schools: the Higher Musical School in Berlin; and the universities of Munich University, M ...

(new title: General Music Director) (1927–1932 Paul Pella musikalischer Oberleiter) * 1935–1942

* 1942–1944

Paul van Kempen Paul van Kempen (16 May 1893 – 8 December 1955) was a Dutch conductor. Personal life Van Kempen was born in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands. He studied at the Amsterdam conservatory from 1910 to 1913, including composition and conducting with Ju ...

* 1945–1946 Theodor Bernhard Rehmann (provisional, full-time cathedral conductor 1924–1963) * 1946–1953 Felix Raabe (son of Peter Raabe) * 1953–1958

* 1958–1962

Hans Walter Kämpfel Hans Walter Kämpfel (22 June 1924 – 22 April 2016) was a German conductor, composer and Generalmusikdirektor in Aachen and Bremen. Life and career Kämpfel was born in near Ingolstadt. After passing his Abitur in 1942 at the Wilhelmsgymn ...

* 1962–1975 Wolfgang Trommer * 1974–1983 Gabriel Chmura * 1983–1984 Jean-François Monnard (provisional music director) * 1984–1990 Yoram David * 1990–1992 Bruce Ferden * 1992–1993

Stefan Lano Stefan Lano (born 1952) is a composer and music director, currently serving as the music and artistic director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Uruguay. He previously served an extensive career with the Vienna State Opera. Early life and ...

(provisional music director) * 1993–1996 Yukio Kitahara * 1996–1997 Elio Boncompagni (provisional music director) * 1997–2002 Elio Boncompagni * 2002–2012

Marcus Bosch Marcus Bosch (born 28 October 1969) is a German conductor. He was Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) in Aachen, held the position at the Staatstheater Nürnberg from 2011, and with the Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock from 2020. He is the artistic dire ...

* 2012–2017 Kazem Abdullah * 2017–2018 Justus Thorau (provisional general music director) * from 2018 Christopher Ward

Recording

with the Sinfonieorchester Aachen * Ludwig van Beethoven: ''

Missa solemnis is Latin for Solemn Mass.Mass
, ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. N.p., Appleton, 1910. 797. and is a genre of < ...

'', Alexandra Coku (soprano), Daniela Denschlag (alto), Andreas Scheidegger (tenor), Martin Berner (bass), Choir of the vocapella, live recording of the cathedral concert on 9 February 2008, (Coviello Classics) * Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 C minor op. 68 and Symphony No. 4 in E minor op. 98, 2007 (Coviello Classics) * Johannes Brahms: '' A German Requiem'' op 45, Live recording of the cathedral concert of 24 February 2007 (Coviello Classics) * Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C minor, live recording of the concert "Bruckner in St. Nikolaus" on 9 June 2003 (Coviello Classics) * Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E major, live recording of the concert "Bruckner in St. Nikolaus" on 31 May 2004 (Coviello Classics) * Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 B flat major, live recording of the concert "Bruckner in St. Nikolaus" on 16 May 2005 (Coviello Classics) * Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 in D minor, live recording of the concert "Bruckner in St. Nikolaus" on 5 June 2006 (Coviello Classics) * Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, live recording of the concert "Bruckner in St. Nicholas" on 1 June 2008 (Coviello Classics) * Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 2 in C minor, live recording of the concert "Bruckner in St. Nikolaus" on 24 May 2010 (Coviello Classics) * Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 6 in A major, live recording of the concert "Bruckner in St. Nikolaus" on 1 June 2009 (Coviello Classics) * Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, live recording of the "Bruckner concert in St. Nicholas" on 28 May 2007 (Coviello Classics) *

Georg Friedrich Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well-known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

: Alexanderfestkonzert HWV 318 – oder Die Macht der Musik, Live recording of the concert in the Old Kurhaus on 5 May 2007 * Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C minor "Auferstehung", Carola Höhn (soprano), Anke Vondung (mezzo-soprano), Live recording of the concert on the occasion of the reopening of the Eurogress Aachen 17 September 2005 * Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, op 11 and Symphony No. 5 D major/d minor, op. 107, Live recording of the 7th and 8th symphony concert 2009 (Coviello Classics/Deutschlandradion Kultur) * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: ''Krönungsmesse'' KV 317, ''Exsultate, jubilate'' KV 165, ''Vesperae solennes de Confessore'' KV 339, ''Ave verum'' KV 618, Dorothee Mields (soprano), Mélanie Forgeron (mezzo-soprano), Christoph Wittmann (tenor), Martin Berner (baritone), Chor der vocapella, Live recording of the cathedral concert on 4 March 2006 (Coviello Classics) * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: concertos for two pianos KV 365, piano duo Anna and Ines Walachowski (Oehms Classics) * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: ''Requiem'' d-Moll KV 626, ''Ave verum'' KV 618, Judith Kuhn (soprano), Gabriele May (alto), Michael König (tenor), Claudius Muth (bass), Choir of the vocapella, Live recording of the cathedral concert on 8 March 2003 (Verlag Friedrich Bischoff GmbH) * Marijn Simons: ''Secret notes'' op. 19, a tí te toca op. 23, symphony No. 1 op. 26, piano duo Anna & Ines Walachowski, Live recording of the symphony concert on 15 and 16 December 2004 (NorthWest Classics) *

Mikis Theodorakis Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films '' Zorba the Greek'' (1964), '' Z'' (1969), and '' Serpico'' (1973). He was a three-ti ...

: Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra, Suite from ''Les amants de Téruel'', Johannes Moser (violoncello), Live recording of the concert for the award of the IMC-UNESCO Music Prize to Mikis Theodorakis on 4 November 2005 (Coviello Classics) * Giuseppe Verdi: ''

Messa da Requiem The ''Messa da Requiem'' is a musical setting of the Catholic funeral mass (Requiem) for four soloists, double choir and orchestra by Giuseppe Verdi. It was composed in memory of Alessandro Manzoni, whom Verdi admired, and therefore also referred ...

'', Melba Ramos (soprano), Gabriele May (Alt), Michael Ende (tenor), Martin Blasius (bass), Choir of the vocapella, Live recording of the cathedral concert on 12 February 2005, (Coviello Classics)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control, state=collapsed German symphony orchestras Aachen Orchestras in North Rhine-Westphalia

History

Kapellmeister and music directors

Recording

Further reading

References

External links