Michael Gielen
The German-born conductor Michael Gielen was a widely recognized specialist in the avant-garde music of Central Europe, with an impressive ability to digest and interpret even very complex scores. He was also a noted composer. Gielen was born in Dresden on July 20, 1927. An uncle on his mother's side was pianist and Arnold Schoenberg associate and interpreter Eduard Steuermann. Gielen's mother, Rose, was Jewish, and the family's peril deepened in the late 1930s. When his father, a stage director, found a position at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the family fled there in 1940. Gielen studied piano there, worked as a rehearsal pianist at his father's theater, and began performing works by Schoenberg (still rare enough in concert at the time) and others. In 1950, the family moved to Vienna, where Gielen once again worked for his father at the Burgtheater while organizing and conducting concerts of avant-garde music on the side. Gielen was a staff conductor at the Vienna State Opera from 1954 to 1960, music director of the Royal Opera of Stockholm from 1960 to 1965, and then conductor of the Cologne Radio Symphony, the Belgian National Opera, and the Dutch National Opera. Beginning in 1969, he was principal guest conductor of the South German Radio Symphony, and from 1977 to 1987 he was chief conductor of the Frankfurt Opera. By this time, Gielen was well known for his advocacy of contemporary music and for conducting the premieres of major works such as Ligeti's Requiem and several works by Karlheinz Stockhausen. He also spent six years (1980-1986) as music director of the Cincinnati Symphony, pushing that pops-oriented ensemble in a more progressive direction. From 1986 to 1999, Gielen served as music director of the SWF Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden (the Southwest German Radio Orchestra), identifying the group strongly with contemporary music through premieres of new works and appearances at the Donaueschinger Musiktage. He recorded extensively there for a variety of labels, conducting a complete cycle of Mahler's symphonies for the Haenssler label and remaining active well into the new century as permanent guest conductor of the SWF Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden, finally retiring in 2014. Over his entire career, Gielen composed music of his own; his output was not large but is well crafted, much of it written according to 12-tone techniques. Gielen died in Mondsee, Austria, on March 8, 2019.
© James Manheim /TiVo
-
Michael Gielen, Vol. 6: Mahler Symphonies, Orchestral Songs
Symphonic Music - Released by SWR Classic on 8 Sep 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Michael Gielen Edition, Vol. 7 (1961-2006)
Symphonic Music - Released by SWR Classic on 11 May 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Michael Gielen Edition, Vol. 2 - Bruckner: Symphonies
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Michael Gielen
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 3 Jun 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Michael Gielen Edition, Vol. 3 - Brahms: Symphonies & Concertos
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Gerhard Oppitz, WDR Rundfunkchor Köln, Mark Kaplan, Michael Gielen, David GerIngas
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 14 Oct 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In Memoriam: Michael Gielen
Michael Gielen, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Paul Fiebig
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 9 Aug 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Michael Gielen Edition, Vol. 1 (1967-2010)
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 4 Mar 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Michael Gielen Edition, Vol. 10 (Live)
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 8 Oct 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor
SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Michael Gielen
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, WAB 108 / FELDMAN: Coptic Light
SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Michael Gielen
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Helmut Lachenmann: Works for Orchestra
Classical - Released by KAIROS on 1 Jan 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3
SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Michael Gielen
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 27 Jul 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Luigi Nono: Variazioni canoniche, A Carlo Scarpa & No Hay Caminos, Hay Que Caminar
Michael Gielen, Sinfonieorchester des Südwestfunks
Classical - Released by naïve classique on 1 Jan 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pierre Bartholomée: Années 1970-1985
Hr-sinfonieorchester, Michael Gielen, Ensemble Musique Nouvelle, Georges Elie Octors
Classical - Released by Evidence (LTR) on 1 Dec 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Szymanowski: Stabat Mater, Op. 53 & Penderecki: Dies Irae
Classical - Released by Orfeo on 2 Sep 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brendel Plays Schubert
Alfred Brendel, Evelyne Crochet, Symphonieorchester der Volksoper Wien, Michael Gielen
Classical - Released by Vox Box on 1 Jan 1996
Choc du Monde de la MusiqueDiapason d'or16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Symphony No. 7 in E Minor
SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Michael Gielen
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 1 Jan 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D Major / Ives: Central Park in the Dark
SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Michael Gielen
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Symphony No. 6 in A Minor / Berg: 3 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6
SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Michael Gielen
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 1 Jan 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schoenberg: Piano Concerto; Chamber Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
Alfred Brendel, Michael Gielen, SWF Sinfonie Orchester Baden-Baden
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 20 May 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Busoni: Piano Concerto in C Major, Op. 39, BV 247
David Lively, Michael Gielen, Freiburger Vokalensemble, Sinfonieorchester Des Südwestfunks
Concertos - Released by SWR Classic on 8 Mar 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MAHLER, G.: Symphony No. 3 in D minor / SCHUBERT: Rosamunde, D. 797 / WEBERN, A.: 6 Pieces for Orchestra (Gielen)
Cornelia Kallisch, Europe Choir Academy, Freiburg Cathedral Boys Choir, SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Michael Gielen
Classical - Released by SWR Classic on 1 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo