Jerzy Semkow
Jerzy Semkow was one of the more successful conductors specializing in late 19th century Russian repertory. A onetime student of Erich Kleiber, Bruno Walter, and Tulio Serafin, Semkow brought much of the panache of that generation of early 20th century conductors to a repertory they never embraced, primarily Russian Romantic music.
Semkow's education began at the State High School in Krakow. In 1951, he began attending the Leningrad Conservatory, studying with Boris Khaikin, and he later studied in the West with Erich Kleiber, Bruno Walter, and Tulio Serafin. In 1954, he took a two-year appointment at the Leningrad Philharmonic as the assistant to Mravinsky, which was followed by two years as a conductor with the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra. In 1959, Semkow became the artistic director and principal conductor of the Warsaw National Opera, a post he held until 1962. From 1966 until 1976, he was principal conductor of the Danish Royal Opera. His American debut came in 1968 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and he also appeared as a guest conductor with the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. He also conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra and made his first appearance at Covent Garden conducting a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni. From 1976 until 1979, he held the post of music director of the St. Louis Symphony. Then he becamethe music director of the Italian Radio Orchestra in Rome.
Semkow recorded for several different labels since the early 1970s, and the list of works he conducted includes concertos by Nielsen and Chopin, and Scriabin's Symphony No. 2. His biggest contribution to recorded music, however, may lie with his recordings of Borodin's Prince Igor and Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, both done for EMI, which hold up extremely well as performances.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo
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Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Masterpieces - Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish"
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Semkow
Classical - Released by Menuetto Classics on May 11, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos.1 & 2
Tamás Vásáry, Ivo Pogorelich, Berliner Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Jerzy Semkow, Claudio Abbado
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Borodin: Prince Igor
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jan 1, 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Nielsen - Helios Overture, Op. 17
Jerzy Semkow, Royal Danish Orchestra
Classical - Released by Vox on Mar 3, 2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Symfonie 1, 2, 3 & 4
Jerzy Semkow, Narodowa Orkiestra Symfoniczna Polskiego Radia w Katowicach
Classical - Released by Polskie Radio on Jan 24, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Knudåge Riisager: Suite from Ballet "Études"
Jerzy Semkow, Royal Danish Orchestra
Classical - Released by Vox on Dec 2, 2022
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Qarrtsiluni, Op. 36
Jerzy Semkow, The Royal Danish Orchestra
Classical - Released by Vox on Jan 27, 2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: The 4 Symphonies
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Semkow
Classical - Released by Vox Box on Jan 1, 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonie n°5 (Piotr Ilyitch Tchaïkovski)
Classical - Released by CD Accord on Mar 29, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 (Franz Schubert)
Symphonic Music - Released by CD Accord on May 28, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo