Harry Kupfer facts for kids

Harry Alfred Robert Kupfer (born August 12, 1935 – died December 30, 2019) was a famous German opera director. He was known for his work at many important opera houses and festivals around the world. Harry Kupfer learned from Walter Felsenstein and followed a style of directing that focused on making performances feel real.

He directed famous operas like Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer at the Bayreuth Festival in 1978. He also directed Wagner's huge Der Ring des Nibelungen in 1988. At the Salzburg Festival, he directed the first show of Penderecki's Die schwarze Maske in 1986. Later, in 2014, he directed Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss there.

Harry Kupfer's Early Career

Harry Kupfer was born in Berlin. He studied theater at the Theaterhochschule Leipzig from 1953 to 1957. After his studies, he became an assistant director at the Landestheater Halle. There, he directed his first opera, Dvořák's Rusalka, in 1958.

From 1958 to 1962, he worked at the Theater Stralsund. He then moved to the Theater in Karl-Marx-Stadt. In 1966, he became the opera director at the Nationaltheater Weimar. He also taught at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt, Weimar from 1967 to 1972. In 1971, he was a guest director at the Staatsoper Berlin. He staged Die Frau ohne Schatten by Richard Strauss there.

Directing at Major Opera Houses

Harry Kupfer was the opera director at the Staatsoper Dresden from 1972 to 1982. In 1973, he directed an opera outside Germany for the first time. It was Elektra by Richard Strauss at the Graz Opera in Austria. From 1977, he was also a professor at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden.

In 1978, he was invited to direct Der fliegende Holländer at the famous Bayreuth Festival. This opera was led by conductor Dennis Russell Davies. Kupfer presented the story in a new way, showing it as the main character Senta's own thoughts and dreams.

Leading the Komische Oper Berlin

In 1981, Harry Kupfer became the chief director at the Komische Oper Berlin. He was a student of Walter Felsenstein, who had a big influence on the Komische Oper. At the same time, Kupfer also became a professor at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin.

At the Komische Oper, he directed many operas by Mozart in the order they were written. These included Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1982 and Così fan tutte in 1984. He also directed other famous operas there, such as Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1981) and Puccini's La Bohème (1982). Other works included Reimann's Lear, Verdi's Rigoletto, and Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov (all in 1983). He also directed the first performance of Judith by Siegfried Matthus.

In 1988, he returned to the Bayreuth Festival to direct Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. This was a very large and important production.

Premiering New Operas

Harry Kupfer helped bring several new operas to the stage for the very first time.

• In 1973, he premiered Udo Zimmermann's Levins Mühle [de] at the Staatstheater Dresden.
• He also directed the first performance in East Germany of Schönberg's Moses und Aron in 1975.
• In 1979, he directed the world premiere of Zimmermann's Der Schuhu und die fliegende Prinzessin.
• In 1991, he premiered Georg Katzer's Antigone oder die Stadt at the Komische Oper Berlin.
• He directed the musical Mozart by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay in 1999 at the Theater an der Wien.
• In 2000, he premiered Reimann's Bernarda Albas Haus at the Bavarian State Opera.

Kupfer even helped write the story for the opera Die schwarze Maske with the composer Krzysztof Penderecki. He directed its first performance in Salzburg in 1986.

Harry Kupfer was married to Marianne Fischer-Kupfer, a music teacher and singer. They had a daughter named Kristiane [de], who became an actress. Harry Kupfer passed away on December 30, 2019, in Berlin.

Harry Kupfer's Directing Style

Harry Kupfer directed operas in a "realistic" way. This style was first developed by Walter Felsenstein at the Komische Oper Berlin. Kupfer focused on understanding the deeper meanings of the operas. He made sure that everything happening on stage, like conflicts and character development, made sense with the music and the relationships between the characters.

Kupfer worked closely with each singer, including the choir members. He wanted them to be good actors and make their performances believable. He believed in creating a "human theater," where the characters felt real and their actions were understood. He also placed characters within their historical and political settings, showing how these backgrounds influenced their lives.

Notable Opera Productions

Here are some of the many operas Harry Kupfer directed:

• 1958: Dvořák: Rusalka, Halle
• 1971: Richard Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten, Staatsoper Berlin
• 1972: Mozart: Die Hochzeit des Figaro, Staatstheater Dresden
• 1973: Udo Zimmermann: Levins Mühle [de], first performance, Staatstheater Dresden
• 1975: Schönberg: Moses und Aron, first performance in East Germany, Staatstheater Dresden
• 1978: Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer, Bayreuth Festival
• 1981: Richard Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Komische Oper Berlin
• 1982 to 1990: Mozart Cycle at Komische Oper Berlin, including:
  • 1982 Die Entführung aus dem Serail
  • 1984 Così fan tutte
  • 1986 Die Zauberflöte
  • 1987 Don Giovanni
• 1986: Penderecki: Die schwarze Maske, first performance, Salzburg Festival
• 1988: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen, Bayreuth Festival
• 1992: Michael Kunze/Sylvester Levay: Elisabeth, first performance, Theater an der Wien
• 1996: Wagner: Lohengrin, Staatsoper Berlin
• 1999: Michael Kunze/Sylvester Levay: Mozart!, first performance, Theater an der Wien
• 2000: Reimann: Bernarda Albas Haus, first performance, Bavarian State Opera
• 2014: Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier, Salzburg Festival
• 2016: Beethoven: Fidelio, Staatsoper Berlin

Recordings of His Work

Some of Harry Kupfer's opera productions are available to watch on DVD. These include:

• Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten
• Strauss’ Elektra (from the Vienna State Opera in 1989)
• Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer (from Bayreuth in 1985)
• Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (from Bayreuth)
• Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (from Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 2005)

Awards and Recognition

Harry Kupfer was a member of several important arts academies in Germany, including the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. He received many awards for his work, such as:

• 1968: Kunstpreis der DDR (Art Prize of East Germany)
• 1983: Nationalpreis der DDR (National Prize of East Germany)
• 1993: Frankfurter Musikpreis (Frankfurt Music Prize)
• 1994: Order of Merit of Berlin
• 2002: Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

See also

In Spanish: Harry Kupfer para niños