Herbert Sandberg (conductor)

Herbert Sandberg (26 February 1902, Wrocław - 7 January 1966) was a Swedish conductor, librettist, and composer of German Polish descent. Educated in Germany, he began his career as assistant to Leo Blech at the Berlin State Opera followed by a position at the Deutsche Oper Berlin as assistant to Bruno Walter. He then became a conductor at the Royal Swedish Opera (RSO) in Stockholm where he remained for the rest of his career. He notably conducted the world premiere of Lars-Erik Larsson's Prinsessan av Cypern at the RSO in 1937. His recordings as a conductor include a 1955 recording of Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite with the RIAS Symphony Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon and a 1956 recording of Camille Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila with Set Svanholm (Samson), Blanche Thebom (Dalila), and the RSO Orchestra. As a composer he wrote a few orchestral pieces and the scores to four Swedish films: Blod och eld (1945), Det vackraste på jorden (1947), Giftas (1955), and Ett dockhem (1956). He is perhaps best remembered for translating several major German operas into the Swedish language; some of which are still used by the RSO and other opera houses in Sweden.