Bruno Walter (born Bruno Schlesinger, September 15, 1876 – February 17, 1962) was a German-born conductor, pianist, and composer. Born in Berlin, he left Germany in 1933 to escape the Third Reich, settling finally in the United States in 1939. He worked closely with Gustav Mahler, whose music he helped establish in the repertory, held major positions with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Salzburg Festival, Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Staatsoper Unter den Linden and Deutsche Oper Berlin, among others, made recordings of historical and artistic significance, and is widely considered one of the great conductors of the 20th century.
Was a good friend of conductor Arturo Toscanini, although they often disagreed over how to perform pieces of music.
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He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6902 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
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Another daughter, Marguerite, was shot by her husband, Robert Neppach, before he killed himself in Zurich in 21 August 1939.
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Survived by his daughter, Mrs. Lotte Lindt, with whom he lived.
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It was Bruno Walter who was supposed to have conducted the New York Philharmonic on the afternoon of November 14, 1943, but he had come down with the flu, so then-assistant conductor Leonard Bernstein replaced him, and became famous overnight. His successful debut with the Philharmonic made the front page of the New York Times. Fourteen years later, Bernstein would be appointed conductor of the orchestra, and become the best-known and most popular conductor in the United States, and one of the most famous in the world.
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Several of his officially released recordings are partially or totally devoted to rehearsals of classical works. The most famous of these is the 2-LP set in which he rehearses all four movements of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony No. 36, known as the "Linz Symphony", and then performs the complete work. It is now available on CD, and is perhaps the first commercially available recording by a major recording company (Columbia Masterworks, now Sony Masterworks) of a conductor rehearsing and then playing an entire concert work.
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During his lifetime, he did more to champion the music of Gustav Mahler than almost any other conductor. In 1960, Leonard Bernstein, who became Mahler's greatest champion in later years, was about to record Mahler's Symphony No. 1, when he heard Walter's recording of it, and out of admiration for the performance, refused to make his own recording of the symphony until after Walter's death. Bruno Walter died in 1962, and Bernstein made his own first recording of the symphony in 1966.
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He was Gustav Mahler's assistant conductor, and made the first recordings of Mahler's "Symphony No. 5", "Symphony No. 9", and "Das Lied von der Erde" (The Song of the Earth).
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During his last years, he re-recorded most of his repertoire in stereo for Columbia (now Sony) Masterworks, including all of Mahler's and Beethoven's symphonies.
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He conducted the world premiere performance of Mahler's "Symphony No. 9".
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Was offered the directorship of the New York Philharmonic in the late 40s, but declined, saying he was too old to take on such a responsibility; agreed to serve as music advisor for a time.
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Was famous for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, and Mahler.
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Was forced to leave Germany with the rise of Hitler to power because of his Jewish faith.
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Had an orchestra, the Columbia Symphony, organized for him in his later years for recording purposes (he had an exclusive recording contract with Columbia Records) so he wouldn't have to travel from California to New York to make recordings.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Treppenwitz
2012
Short "Symphony No. 1 in D major 'Titan'"
Life Is No Joke
2012
Short performer: "The Magic Flute Overture, K. 620"
$11 Million
