Otto Ackermann
Otto Ackermann was one of the most widely acclaimed conductors of opera and operetta, both in concert and on record. Born in Bucharest, he studied at that city's Royal Academy, and later at the Berlin Hochschule fur Musik. His first major post was as Kapellmeister at the Dusseldorf Opera House, and in 1932 he was appointed Chief Kapellmeister of the German Theater in Brno. From 1935 through 1947, he served as chief Kapellmeister of the Municipal Theater of Berne, and from 1949 until 1955 he served as a conductor at the Zurich Opera House. Ackermann returned to Germany in 1955 as music director of the Cologne Opera House, and also became a popular guest conductor at the Vienna State Opera during this period, as well as at opera houses in Monaco and Italy. He returned to the Zurich Opera in 1958, but he became seriously ill late in the following year, and died early in 1960.
Ackermann's best-known recordings were the operettas he recorded under the auspices of EMI Classical chief Walter Legge during the years 1955 through 1959. His recordings of Johann Strauss' The Gypsy Baron and A Night in Venice, both starring Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, have near-legendary status among even casual listeners. Alas, his June/July 1959 recording of Strauss' Die Fledermaus -- Ackermann's last major work -- is somewhat lesser-known, for it stands in the shadow of EMI's 1955 recording of Fledermaus under the baton of Herbert Von Karajan, with Schwarzkopf. Surprisingly, for the work of a renowned operatic specialist, Ackermann's 1950 recording of Weber's Der Freischutz is not well-regarded. By contrast, his conducting on Schwarzkopf's recording of Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs is stunning in its sensitivity and passion, and Ackermann also superbly conducted the accompaniment to Solomon's performance of the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 15, and was a noted interpreter of Mozart's operas, although these are not represented on record. His work with the mainstream German/Austrian repertory, including the Beethoven symphonies, was also very popular, but has been supplanted by other conductors' recordings.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo
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Schubert, J. Strauss I & Berlioz: Marches (Mono Version)
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Otto Ackermann
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1959
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Prokofiev: Pierre et le loup, Op. 67 (Mono Version)
Pierre Bertin, Amsterdams Philharmonisch Orkest, Otto Ackermann
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 31, 22 & 24 (Mono Version)
Amsterdam Philharmonic Society, Otto Ackermann
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Concerto pour piano No. 5 "Empereur" (Mono Version)
Hannes Kann, Otto Ackermann, Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphonie No. 7 (Mono Version)
Otto Ackermann, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Concertos pour violon Nos. 3 & 5 (Mono Version)
Leonide Kogan, Otto Ackermann, Philharmonia Orchestra
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Extraits du catalogue de la Guilde internationale du disque (Mono Version)
Alexandre Schreiner, Grant Johannesen, Otto Ackermann
Klassiek - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Concerto pour violon, Op. 64 (Mono Version)
Louis Kaufman, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, Otto Ackermann
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 & Fantasie über ungarische Volksmelodien (Mono Version)
Geza Anda, Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Ackermann
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Symphony No. 4 & Overture to Genoveva (Mono Version)
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Otto Ackermann
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1959
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Piano Concerto No.15 & Sonatas No. 11, 17 by Mozart
Otto Ackermann, The Philharmonia Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by OperaPrima-Carillon on 23 apr. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Giacomo Puccini: Manon Lescaut
Chor des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks Köln, Orchester des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks Köln, Otto Ackermann
Klassiek - Released by Cantus Classics on 23 sep. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lehár Den glade enke
Otto Ackermann, Philharmonia Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 2 feb. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Opera: Turandot
Bern City Orchestra and Chorus, Otto Ackermann
Opera - Released by Urania RC on 18 mrt. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grandi maestri dell'interpretazione: Clara Haskil, Vol. 1
Clara Haskil, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Orchestre Philarmonique de L'ORTF, Otto Ackermann, Paul Hindemith
Klassiek - Released by Stradivarius on 1 jan. 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johann Strauss II: Eine Nacht in Venedig
Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Ackermann
Opera - Released by OMP Classics on 21 apr. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491
Grant Johannesen, Otto Ackermann, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra
Concertmuziek - Released by Mezzoforte on 24 jan. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johann Strauss II: Wiener Blut
Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Ackermann
Opera - Released by OMP Classics on 21 apr. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Sings Operetta
Otto Ackermann, Philharmonia Orchestra And Chorus
Klassiek - Released by Classically on 26 jul. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johann Strauss: Wiener Blut
Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Ackermann
Klassiek - Released by Cantus Classics on 1 jan. 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johann Strauss: Eine Nacht in Venedig
Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Ackermann
Klassiek - Released by Cantus Classics on 1 aug. 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo