Wolfgang Sawallisch

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Wolfgang Sawallisch (born August 26, 1923) is a German conductor and pianist.

He was born in Munich, and began his career at the opera house in Augsburg. In 1953 he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming the youngest person ever to do so. When he debuted at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus conducting Tristan und Isolde in 1957, he was the youngest conductor ever to appear there as well. From 1960 to 1970 he was Principal Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and from 1971 to 1992 was General Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera. From 1993 to 2003 he was Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and is currently its Conductor Laureate.

As a pianist, he has accompanied a number of prominent singers in lieder, including Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Margaret Price. Sawallisch has also recorded, as piano accompanist, Franz Schubert's Die Winterreise and Robert Schumann's Liederkreis and other songs with Thomas Hampson.

His other recordings for EMI include highly regarded issues of Richard Strauss' Capriccio and the four symphonies of Robert Schumann with the Dresden Staatskapelle. He made a quadrophonic stereo album (probably the only one ever made) of Mozart's The Magic Flute in 1973 for EMI, starring Peter Schreier as Tamino, Walter Berry as Papageno, Edda Moser as the Queen of the Night, Anneliese Rothenberger as Pamina, and Kurt Moll as Sarastro. Other recordings (EMI, Orfeo and Sony) include:

- Ludwig van Beethoven's nine symphonies with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam
- Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Bavarian Radio Symphony and Choir
- Johannes Brahms' Symphonies Nos. 1-4 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Antonín Dvořák's Symphonies Nos. 7-9 and Cello Concerto with The Philadelphia Orchestra
- Richard Strauss' Intermezzo, Elektra, Friedenstag and Die Frau ohne Schatten, Arabella with the Bavarian State Opera
- Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben, Symphonia domestica, and Also sprach Zarathustra with the Philadelphia Orchestra
- Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth (live recording Salzburg Festival)
- Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Die Feen with the Bavarian State Opera; The Flying Dutchman (Bayreuth Festival)
- Richard Wagner's Wesendock Lieder with Marjana Lipovsek and The Philadelphia Orchestra

Sawallisch's wife Mechthild died in 1998. They had a son, Jorg. Ill health related to blood pressure problems in recent years has prevented Sawallisch from conducting. In an article from The Philadelphia Inquirer of August 27, 2006, Sawallisch stated for the record that he is retired from the concert podium:

"It can happen without announcement that my blood pressure is too low. This instability gives me the necessity to finish my career after 57 years of concert and opera conducting."

Sawallisch is an honorary member of The Robert Schumann Society. In 2003, Sawallisch helped to establish a music school in Grassau, Germany, the Wolfgang Sawallisch Stiftung.

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Preceded by:
Herbert von Karajan		 Principal Conductor, Vienna Symphony Orchestra
1960–1970		 Succeeded by:
Josef Krips
Preceded by:
Joseph Keilberth		 General Music Director, Bavarian State Opera
1971–1992		 Succeeded by:
Zubin Mehta
Preceded by:
Paul Kletzki		 Principal Conductor, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
1972–1980		 Succeeded by:
Horst Stein
Preceded by:
Riccardo Muti		 Music Director, Philadelphia Orchestra
1993–2003		 Succeeded by:
Christoph Eschenbach
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