# Wolfgang Sawallisch (1923-2013)



## mvdaily (Feb 24, 2013)

Sad news ... German conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch died two days ago at his home in Bavaria, aged 89. Short obituary here.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

89 years is a good long life, and a very productive one too. RIP Wolfgang.


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## mvdaily (Feb 24, 2013)

Yes - conductors seem to live a long time, don't they? Sawallisch made lots of recordings for EMI so we can continue to enjoy his art.


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

One of my favourite opera conductors, not mentioned enough, always eclipsed by other big names. Going to give his recording of Bartok's Bluebeard a spin, a desert island disc of mine.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

RIP WS. For me he was usually lost in the crowd of good conductors who worked in Europe during the two 'shake-out' decades after WW2. So many fine orchestras, with highly competent conductors. The standards were high, and WS was 'up to standard'.

:tiphat:


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

A truly great conductor . He was never a flashy superstar , but neither was he a "kapellmeister" ie, a competent , reliable but pedestrian one . He wa suniversally admired for his consummate musicianship amd dedication to his art . He will be missed , but leaves an outstanding legacy of recordings .


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Got a good Bruckner 4 and Die Frau Ohne Schatten from him. Very good musician.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Don't forget he was a very fine pianist,i have him doing the "Trout " Quintet with the Endres Quartet.
Also he was a recognised accompanist working wit DFD,Peter Schreier,Hermann Prey,etc.etc.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Its a bit spooky cos I was just reading about him last night in one of my books, and now I log on and learn of his death here.

Well I agree with people above. I had a handful of recordings by him on tape ages ago, and then they where among the finest performances of these works. One was Bruckner's 6th, a recording with the Bavarian orchestra that got a Diapason d'or (one of the most coveted of classical music awards), also his set of Schubert masses and sacred works and the two Weber symphonies which are by no means the greatest symphonies ever, but under Maestro Sawallisch's baton they where lifted to a higher dimension, I think.

& yeah he was a noted accompanist as Moody mentions, on that Schubert series I remember him on piano accompanying people singing sacred songs/choruses by Schubert. Among those where none other than Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

RIP indeed.


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## GraemeG (Jun 30, 2009)

I heard him conduct Schumann in Amsterdam 20 years ago, and the memory of it lives with me still.
And _Meistersinger_ in Munich, too.
A much-under-rated conductor.
GG


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

The only conductor to record every Wagner opera, including Die Feen, Liebsverbot and Rienzi.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

RIP, a Kapellmeister in the true sense in a world of inflated Maestros!

/ptr


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

glad i have some of his recordings.


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## rrudolph (Sep 15, 2011)

When he came to Philadelphia (I think around 1993 or 4), a lot of people felt he would be a letdown after the flamboyancy of Muti. He exceeded all expectations and earned the respect and admiration of both the players in the orchestra and the audiences (no easy feat in this town).


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Posted a video of him and DFD in Strauss' Morgen in my blog here.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Actually, Sawallisch did not record Parsifal ,although there may be a live recording circulating somewhyere, or Tristan , live, excepted . The only conductors thus far who have recorded everything from Hollander to Parsifal are Solti and Barenboim . The excelent EMI Meistersnger is the only studio recording of a complete Wagner opera Sawallisch made . The rest are from live performances, and the Rienzi on Orfeo is somewhat cut like all the other live Rienzis .


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## palJacky (Nov 27, 2010)

A live 'parsifal' conducted by sawallisch has been issued commercially.
http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Parsif...15&sr=1-6&keywords=sawallisch+parsifal+wagner


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

I see that he was at the Bavarian State Opera from 1971 to 1992.
And at Philadelphia 1993-2003,surely he was better than Muti?


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## rrudolph (Sep 15, 2011)

moody said:


> I see that he was at the Bavarian State Opera from 1971 to 1992.
> And at Philadelphia 1993-2003,surely he was better than Muti?


Not sure I would say better or worse, just completely different....to my taste better in some ways, but apples and oranges really.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

moody said:


> Don't forget he was a very fine pianist,i have him doing the "Trout " Quintet with the Endres Quartet.
> Also he was a recognised accompanist working wit DFD,Peter Schreier,Hermann Prey,etc.etc.


Apparently once when the orchestra didn't make it because of weather conditions, played the whole concert on the piano!


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

A truly great conductor! He was a fabulous interpreter of Beethoven, Strauss, Brahms and Wagner among others. I love his Beethoven cycle because he orchestrated a a good tempo that makes them robust and even after many listens they are fresh. RIP Woflgang!

Kevin


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

moody said:


> Don't forget he was a very fine pianist


...and [it is the stuff of documentary legend], on one memorable occasion, he took to the piano In Concert- unscheduled and unrehearsed---

It was the occasion of one of Philadelphia's rare great blizzards- two-plus feet of snow. The bulk of the orchestra had no way of getting to work. Most of the audience were unable to fare any better. However, there _was_ a smattering people prepared to attend a concert- and Maestro Sawallisch took to the piano, and gave one.

I once had the opportunity to speak personally, albeit briefly, with Lyon Opera Principal Conductor Kazushi Ono. He readily and freely acknowledged with gratitude the role of Sawallisch's tutelage in his career. No doubt, he was one of the great ones...


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