Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt is one of those conductors whose work was renowned far more among the ranks of his peers (and of very serious listeners) than among the general classical audiences of his era. A believer in strict rhythmic precision, transparent orchestral textures, and the avoidance of excessive mannerisms, Schimidt-Isserstedt and his work were loved by fellow musicians and by listeners committed enough to seek it out, eclipsed as it often was by his more flamboyant and well known rivals. It is a measure of his place in the pantheon of early/mid-twentieth century conductors that, while only two or three of his recordings are represented on CDs from major labels, dozens of his performances appear on private collectors labels.
Schmidt-Isserstedt was born in Berlin in 1900, and studied music in Berlin at the university. Although his interest in music extended into modern and contemporary works, his first love was Mozart, and he authored a dissertation on the Italian influences in Mozart's early operas. He conducted in different theaters, and also composed music during the earlier part of his career, including several orchestral works, lieder, chamber pieces, and one opera, Hassan Gewinnt, which was performed for the first time in 1928. During the 1930's, he began recording regularly, most notably in a series of concertos with the legendary violin virtuoso Georg Kulenkampff, in which he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic. Schmidt-Isserstedt remained in Germany during the period of the Nazi regime, and in 1935 was appointed principal Kappelmeister at the Hamburg State Opera. He became the opera director at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin in 1943 and the company's general music director in 1944.
Schmid-Isserstedt was among the less controversial musicians working in Germany during the war, and his work and career continued virtually uninterrupted by the Allied victory and the fall of the Nazi regime in 1945. He founded the North German Radio (or NDR) Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg during 1945, which he directed until his retirement in 1971. Schmidt-Isserstedt took the NDR Symphony Orchestra on tour in Europe, the Soviet Union, and the United States successfully during the 1950's. He also began recording regularly for the British Decca/London label, with several different orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. From 1955 until 1964, he was also the principal conductor of the Stockholm Philharmonic, and made appearances as a guest conductor with more than 100 orchestras around the world, in all of the world's major cities, and with the Glyndebourne Opera (The Marriage of Figaro, 1958) and Covent Garden (Tristan Und Isolde, 1962). During this period, he was also a fervent advocate for the music of Bartok, Stravinsky, and Hindemith.
Schmidt-Isserstedt was popular throughout Europe, and his recordings were usually more easily available there than in the United States, where he was most familiar to a cadre of serious listeners. His Beethoven symphonic cycle with the Vienna Philharmonic (which featured some of the most consistently fine and inspired playing in the VPO's history), however, was readily available in the American catalog for many years, and is still highly regarded. His recording of the Symphony No. 9, in particular, is still singled out for critical praise. For many years, it was considered one of the two or three finest available on LP (back in the 1970's, if you found this record in someone's collection, you could be certain that they really knew their stuff and cared about their music). In the 1990's the CD version of this performance was chosen by the author of The Beethoven Companion as the one through which the interactive computer software operates and lifts its cues. His recordings of the Mozart operas, most notably Idomineo (his last, released in 1972) and La Finta Giardiniera (recorded in the then-extant German translation, as Die Gartnerin Aus Liebe) remain among the choicest performances of these works.
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt never courted publicity or glory in the way that his contemporaries, such as Wilhelm Furtwangler, or younger rivals like Herbert Von Karajan did. As a result, he was never a household name. Working quietly, however, and building an orchestra and a postwar reputation from the ground up, he ended up leaving behind a handful of recordings whose worth speaks loudly, even in the digital era, some decades after his death.
© Bruce Eder
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 London Records [7]
Symphonies 5, 8 London Records [7]
Violin Concerto (w/Georg Kulenkampff) Teldec [6]
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (w/Georg Kulenkampff) Teldec [7]
Mozart Idomineo EMI Classics [7]
La Finta Giardiniera Philips [7]
Schumann Violin Concerto (w/Georg Kulenkampff) Teldec [8] /TiVo
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Dvorak, Brahms: Orchestral Music
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Aug 1, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fortner: The Creation, Mouvements für Klavier und Orchester; Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major (Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt Edition 2, Vol. 10)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Carl Seemann, Monique Haas, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Sep 22, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Ravel Conducts Ravel
Monique Haas, Maurice Ravel, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Orchestre Lamoureux, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Profil on Oct 8, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Historical Mahler, Vol. 2 (Remastered 2023)
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, NDR Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Urania Records on Jan 31, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Capitol Recordings (Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt)
Classical - Released by Tahra on Sep 21, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade (Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt Edition 2, Vol. 7)
Orchestre De La NDR De Hambourg, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Jan 1, 1959
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart, Schubert: Symphonies
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Walter Susskind
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Aug 1, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Violin Concerto
Georg Kulenkampff, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Berliner Philharmoniker
Classical - Released by Infinity on Feb 4, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1, Piano Concerto No. 2 (Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt Edition – Decca Recordings, Vol. 8)
Wilhelm Backhaus, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Jan 1, 1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
Classical - Released by Universal Music Division Decca Records France on Jan 1, 1963
Discothèque Insolite Qobuz16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 (Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt Edition – Decca Recordings, Vol. 12)
Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Jan 1, 1953
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Violin Concerto (Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt Edition 2, Vol. 1)
Henryk Szeryng, London Symphony Orchestra, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Sep 22, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphony No. 38 'Prague'; Tchaikovsky: Serenade for String Orchestra; Stutermeister: Romeo und Julia (Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt Edition 2, Vol. 13)
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Sep 22, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1 (Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt Edition 2, Vol. 6)
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Jan 1, 1963
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Busoni: Piano Concerto
Gunnar Johansen, NDR-Chor, NDR Sinfonieorchester, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Music and Arts Programs of America on Apr 1, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt: The Capitol Recordings
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, NDR Sinfonieorchester
Classical - Released by Tahra on Sep 21, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tristan und isolde - act. I-II
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
Classical - Released by OperaPrima-Carillon on Apr 23, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ginette Neveu Plays Brahms
Ginette Neveu, Jean Neveu, NDR Sinfonieorchester, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Tahra on Dec 16, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 (Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt Edition – Decca Recordings, Vol. 13)
Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Jan 1, 1953
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, N.W.D.R. Symphony Orchestra Of Hamburg
Symphonic Music - Released by Infinity on Feb 15, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvořák · Serenade for Wind Instruments · Serenade for Strings
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, NDR Sinfonieorchester
Classical - Released by G.O.P. on Oct 31, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo