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Gerd Schaller

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Gerd Schaller
Conductor Gerd Schaller
Born1965
Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany
Alma materWürzburg College of Music,
OccupationConductor of classical music
Years active1993–present
Known forComplete Bruckner symphonies; first recordings of rare works
Websitegerd-schaller.de

Gerd Schaller (born 1965 in Bamberg) is a German conductor, best known for his performing and recording rare works, including the first full recordings of Bruckner's output.

Career

Schaller studied music at the Würzburg College of Music, and medicine at the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg.[1] He took up his first post at the Hanover Staatsoper in 1993.[1] In 1998 he became principal conductor at the Braunschweig Staatstheater, and was General Music Director at the Magdeburg Opera from 2003 to 2006.[1] Since 2006, he has worked freelance as a guest conductor with numerous orchestras, primarily in Germany, but also in the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania.[2] Schaller's repertoire includes conducting German and Italian works, including those of Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss, and Giuseppe Verdi.[1]

In 1990, Schaller established the Ebrach Summer Music Festival in Franconia, and he remains its Artistic Director. The event is staged in collaboration with BR's Studio Franken.[3]

In 2008, Schaller founded the Philharmonie Festiva. Its core of Munich Bach Soloists has been expanded with musicians from across Germany.[4]

Bruckner recordings

Schaller is noted for his recordings of all of Anton Bruckner's symphonies, including versions never recorded before, for the Profil label of Edition Günter Hänssler.[5] The recordings have been praised by Ken Ward, editor of The Bruckner Journal, as "a little musical miracle."[6] Music critic David Hurwitz asserts Schaller "really is an excellent Bruckner conductor", and in reviewing Schaller's recording of Bruckner's Fifth Symphony, he states that Schaller, "doesn't put a foot wrong."[7] AllMusic, reviewing a recording of Bruckner's Fourth, Seventh and Ninth Symphonies, notes, "The live performances of all three symphonies by Gerd Schaller and the Philharmonie Festiva are first-rate, with great attention to detail and controlled pacing that give the music propulsive movement and coherence."[8]

Rare works

Schaller's recording career has had a strong emphasis on lesser-known operas and concert rarities, including the first recordings of numerous pieces. His recordings of lesser-known operas have included Karl Goldmark's The Queen of Sheba, and Goldmark's Merlin;[9] as well as the first recording of Johann Simon Mayr's Fedra in co-operation with North German Radio.[10][11] His first recordings of other pieces include Johann von Herbeck's Great Mass.[12]

Schaller's recording of Merlin won the ECHO Klassik Prize in 2010 in the "Opera Recording of the Year (19th century)" category.[1] In addition to a CD release, his performance of Franz von Suppé's Requiem has been broadcast on German television and radio.[13]

In addition to his opera recordings, his live performances have included Alban Berg's Wozzeck, Jules Massenet's Hérodiade, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's The Dead Ciyt, and Leoš Janáček's The Makropulos Affair.[1]

Orchestra conducting

Schaller has conducted the following orchestras:[1]

List of recordings

Recordings of Anton Bruckner's symphonies

  • Symphony in F minor of 1863 – PH 15004 (2016)[6]
  • First Symphony – Linz version of 1866 (Carragan edition) – PH12022 (2012)[14]
  • Symphony in D minor of 1869 – PH15035 (2015)[15]
  • Second Symphony – version of 1872 (Carragan edition) – PH12022 (2012)[14]
  • Third Symphony – version of 1874 (Carragan edition), premiere recording – PH12022 (2012)[14]
  • Fourth Symphony – version of 1878/80 – PH11028 (2011)[8]
  • Fourth Symphony – version of 1878/80 with final movement entitled Volksfest (traditional fair) – PH13049 (2013)[16]
  • Fifth Symphony – PH14020 (2014)[7]
  • Sixth Symphony – PH14021 (2014)[17]
  • Seventh Symphony – PH11028 (2011)[8]
  • Eighth Symphony – intermediate variant of 1888 (Carragan edition), premiere recording – PH13027 (2013)[18]
  • Ninth Symphony – with final movement completed by William Carragan in the 2010 revision – PH11028 (2011)[8]
  • Funeral music "To the memory of Anton Bruckner" by Otto Kitzler orchestrated by Schaller, premiere recording – PH13027 (2013)[19]

Recordings with the Munich Philharmonic Choir

  • Karl Goldmark: Merlin, premiere recording – PH09044 (2009)[20]
  • Franz von Suppé: Requiem – PH12061 (2012)[21]
  • Johann Ritter von Herbeck: Great Mass, premiere recording – PH15003 (2015)[22]
  • Anton Bruckner: Mass 3, Psalm 146, Organ works – PH16034 (2016)[23]

Other recordings

  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 3 – PH15030 (2015)[24]
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 4 – PH15030 (2015)[24]
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 5 – PH15030 (2015)[24]
  • Karl Goldmark: Symphony no. 1 "Rustic Wedding" - PH10048 (2011)[25]
  • Franz Schubert: "Unfinished" Symphony in B minor D759 in the four-movement version of William Carragan, premiere recording – PH12062 (2012)
  • Franz Schubert: "Great" Symphony in C major D944 – PH12062 (2012)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Schaller, Gerd (January 1, 2010). "Biographie" [Biography]. gerd-schaller.de (Personal website) (in German).
  2. ^ Heringlehner, Ralf (May 23, 2014). "Der fränkische Dirigent Gerd Schaller über die Freiheit eines Freischaffenden". Mainpost.
  3. ^ Vollmann, Norbert (August 28, 2015). "Erfolgsgeschichte Musiksommer". Mainpost.
  4. ^ Music, Ebracht (January 1, 2016). "PHILHARMONIE FESTIVA". Mainpost.
  5. ^ Ward, Ken (September 3, 2013). "Ebrach completes its Bruckner cycle in fine style". Bachtrack.
  6. ^ a b Ward, Ken (June 9, 2015). "Gerd Schaller and Philharmonie Festiva perform a miracle on Bruckner's school-work". Bachtrack.
  7. ^ a b Hurwitz, David (September 9, 2014). "Bruckner: Symphony No 5 / Schaller, Philharmonie Festiv". ArkivMusic.
  8. ^ a b c d Sanderson, Blair (August 30, 2011). "Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 4, 7 & 9". AllMusic.
  9. ^ Kupke, Frank (April 20, 2009). "Die Wiederbelebung des sagenumwobenen Sehers Merlin". Mainpost.
  10. ^ Enescu, Fundatia (November 8, 2011). "Gerd Schaller". Fundatia George Enescu.
  11. ^ Müller, Sven-David (April 4, 2008). "Opernereignis an der Oker: Fedra in Braunschweig wiederbelebt". lifePR.
  12. ^ Ward, Ken (September 9, 2014). "A rare chance to hear Herbeck's Great Mass at Bad Kissingen". Bachtrack.
  13. ^ Listing, Television (November 22, 2015). "Requiem von Franz von Suppé". Ard.de.
  14. ^ a b c Hoskins, Christian (November 1, 2011). "Bruckner – Symphonies No.1 (1866 ed. Carragan), No.2 (1872 ed. Carragan), No.3 (1874 ed. Carragan)" (PDF). The Bruckner Journal.
  15. ^ Ward, Ken (March 10, 2015). "Bruckner's Zero triumphantly revalued by Gerd Schaller and the Philharmonie Festiva". Bachtrack.
  16. ^ Bermudez, José Luis (January 1, 2014). "Symphony #4 (with Volkfest finale)". ClassicalNet.
  17. ^ Reinhart, Brian (March 1, 2015). "REVIEW: Anton BRUCKNER (1824–1896), Symphony No. 6 in A, WAB 106". MusicWeb International.
  18. ^ Ward, Ken (August 1, 2012). "Bruckner's Eighth as a work-in-progress from Philharmonie Festiva". Bachtrack.
  19. ^ Barfoot, Terry (August 13, 2013). "REVIEW: Anton BRUCKNER (1824–1896), Symphony No. 8 (Variant of 1888, ed. Carragan) [85:42]; Otto KITZLER senior (1834–1915) & Otto KITZLER junior (1863–1931), Trauermusik (1906) (orch. Gerd Schaller) [13:37]". MusicWeb International.
  20. ^ Campbell, Alexander (June 1, 2010). "Merlin [Premiere recording of the opera by Karl Goldmark]". Classical Source.
  21. ^ Cookson, Michael (April 13, 2013). "REVIEW: RECORDING OF THE MONTH, Franz von SUPPÉ (1819–1895), Requiem in D minor – Missa pro defunctis (1855) ]". Classical Source.
  22. ^ Cookson, Michael (August 1, 2015). "REVIEW: Johann von HERBECK (1831–1877), Große Messe in E minor for chorus, organ and orchestra (1866) [47.33] ]". MusicWeb International.
  23. ^ Proffitt, John. "REVIEW: RECORDING OF THE MONTH, Anton Bruckner (1824–1896)". MusicWeb International.
  24. ^ a b c Listing, Official (September 4, 2015). "Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3, 4 & 7". Presto Classical.
  25. ^ Kennedy, Paul (September 11, 2011). "REVIEW: Carl GOLDMARK (1830–1915), Symphony No. 1 The Rustic Wedding (1876) [43:10]". MusicWeb International.
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