István Kertész
An inordinately gifted conductor, István Kertész died at age 43 in a tragic drowning off the Israeli coast. He had already reached full maturity as a musician, proving his worth in opera, oratorio, and the symphonic repertory. His interests were wide-ranging, including works from the Classical and Romantic periods and large portions of twentieth century music.
Beginning with private lessons in childhood, Kertész studied piano and violin. He continued with violin training at the Ferenc Liszt Academy in Budapest, adding composition under the supervision of such teachers as Weiner and Kodály. He pursued his conducting studies with László Somogyi, at the same time benefiting from studying the performances of Otto Klemperer, who was then working at the Hungarian State Opera. In 1953, Kertész was appointed resident conductor at Györ, two years later transferring his activities to Budapest, where he was hired as coach and conductor. Following the political uprising and Soviet response in 1956, Kertész moved with his family to Germany, subsequently acquiring German citizenship.
From 1958 to 1963, Kertész was general music director at Augsburg. His British debut took place with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 1960, followed by appearances with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1961. His American debut came with a tour with the NDR Symphony Orchestra in 1961, during which he made a positive impression on American audiences and critics alike. An appointment as general music director in Cologne came in 1964 and 1966 brought both a Covent Garden debut, directing Un ballo in maschera. A global tour with the London Symphony Orchestra led to his succeeding Pierre Monteux as LSO principal conductor in 1966. In 1971, he became music director of Cologne's Gürzenich-Orchester, a position he held until his death two years later.
Kertész was decidedly non-interventionist as a conductor. With scrupulous attention to the composer's directions, his interpretations were more remarkable for sound musicianship than for striking individualism. Still, his performances often held high drama, and he was intentional about advocacy of works he believed in, which, in light of his broad interests, were numerous. At Cologne, he presented the German premiere of Verdi's Stiffelio as well as Mozart's La clemenza di Tito (a work he recorded in its first complete edition on disc).
For Decca, Kertész recorded a superb Bluebeard's Castle with Christa Ludwig and Walter Berry, still unsurpassed after several decades. His complete recordings of the Dvorák, Brahms, and Schubert symphonies still enjoy honorable places among the best versions committed to disc. The first Western recording of Kodály's Háry János (the complete opera) was made with the London Symphony under Kertész's direction. The Decca label coupling of Dvorák's Requiem and Kodály's Psalmus Hungaricus is another fitting tribute to a superb artist too soon departed.
In addition to Bartók, Kertész was an indefatigable champion of works by Stravinsky, Henze, and Britten. Britten's Billy Budd was first presented to German audiences under Kertész's baton and he directed the first performance of the War Requiem heard in Vienna. For Ravinia Festival audiences, Kertész directed the War Requiem with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus shortly before his death. With soloists Phyllis Curtin, Robert Tear, and John Shirley-Quirk, the conductor's shattering interpretation left audience members limp.
© TiVo
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Dvorák: Symphonies,Tone Poems, Requiem...
London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Symphonies - Released by Decca on Nov 1, 2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Anton Dvorák : Symphonies Nos.8 & 9
London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on May 15, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvorák: The Symphonies/Overtures
London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Nov 5, 1991
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kodaly: Orchestral Works
London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, István Kertész, Antal Doráti
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 "Emperor" & Rondo, Op. 51 No. 1
Hans richter-Haaser, Philharmonia Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Apr 24, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Piano Concerto, No. 1
Classical - Released by Nar Classical on Jul 10, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60 & Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 (Live)
István Kertész, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, RAI Symphony Orchestra, Turin
Classical - Released by Urania Records on Nov 30, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos.20,23,24,26 & 27
Clifford Curzon, English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten, London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2001
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvořák : Complete Symphonies - Tone Poems- Overtures - Requiem
London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: The Symphonies
Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
István Kertész - The London Years
London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bartók: Duke Bluebeard's Castle
Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry, London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1966
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Donizetti: Don Pasquale
Graziella Sciutti, Juan Oncina, Tom Krause, Fernando Corena, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1991
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 8 & 9; Rondo, K.386
Vladimir Ashkenazy, London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Dec 18, 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 23 & 24
Clifford Curzon, London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Nov 1, 1968
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvořák: Symphony No. 6, Op. 60, B. 112 - Beethoven: Egmont Overture, Op. 84 (Live)
István Kertész, London Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Urania Records on Nov 30, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 58 & Rondo, Op. 51 No. 2
Hans richter-Haaser, Philharmonia Orchestra, István Kertész
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Apr 17, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvorak: Requiem Mass/Mass in D
London Symphony Orchestra, István Kertész, Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford, Simon Preston
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Classical - Released by Myto Historical on May 3, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Sinfonie No. 45 "Farewell" - Sinfonie No. 101 "The Clock"
Bamberger Symphoniker, István Kertész, Heinz Wallberg
Classical - Released by Adora on May 3, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" (Live)
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, István Kertész
Classical - Released by SWR Mediaservices GmbH on May 1, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo