Nikolaus Harnoncourt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Harnoncourt in 1980
|
|
| Born |
Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt
6 December 1929 Berlin, Germany
|
| Died | 5 March 2016 (aged 86) St Georgen im Attergau, Austria
|
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Other names | Johann Nikolaus Graf de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt (nobility historically) |
| Occupation | Cellist, conductor |
| Organization | Concentus Musicus Wien |
| Known for | Pioneer of historically informed performance |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Hoffelner (m. 1953–2016; his death) |
| Children | 4 (including Elisabeth von Magnus) |
| Parent(s) | Ladislaja Harnoncourt |
| Awards |
|
| Signature | |
 |
|
Nikolaus Harnoncourt (born December 6, 1929 – died March 5, 2016) was a famous Austrian conductor. He was known for performing old music in a special way. This was called "historically informed performance." It meant trying to play music exactly as it would have sounded when it was first written.
Harnoncourt started as a cellist. In 1953, he created his own music group called Concentus Musicus Wien. This group used old instruments from the time the music was composed. He became a leader in the "Early Music movement," which brought old music back to life. Around 1970, Harnoncourt started conducting operas and concerts. He led many famous orchestras around the world. He even conducted the Vienna New Year's Concert in 2001 and 2003.
Contents
Early Life and Music Studies
Nikolaus Harnoncourt was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1929. His mother was from an old Austrian family. His father was an engineer. When Nikolaus was two, his brother Philipp was born. His family later moved to Graz, Austria.
Harnoncourt grew up in Graz. He then went to Vienna to study music. At the Vienna Music Academy, he studied the cello. He also learned to play the viola da gamba, which is an old string instrument.
A Career in Music
Harnoncourt played the cello with the Vienna Symphony orchestra from 1952 to 1969. In 1953, he started the group Concentus Musicus Wien with his wife, Alice. They wanted to play music using instruments from the time it was written. This made their performances sound very authentic. He played both the cello and the viola da gamba in this group.
Harnoncourt recorded many old pieces, especially from the Baroque period. These included works by famous composers like Bach, Monteverdi, and Rameau.
Becoming a Conductor
Harnoncourt left the Vienna Symphony to become a conductor. His first time conducting an opera was in 1970 in Milan, Italy. He led Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria.
In 1971, Harnoncourt started a big project with another conductor, Gustav Leonhardt. They decided to record all of J.S. Bach's cantatas. These are special pieces of music for voices and instruments. This huge project finished in 1990. Their recordings were unique because they used only male singers for most of the parts, just as Bach would have done.
Harnoncourt also made the first recordings of Bach's Mass in B minor and St Matthew Passion using historically informed performance. Later, in 2001, he made another famous recording of the St Matthew Passion. It even won a Grammy Award.
Conducting Modern Orchestras
Later in his career, Harnoncourt also conducted orchestras that used modern instruments. However, he still focused on making the music sound historically accurate. He paid close attention to things like the speed (tempi) and loudness (dynamics) of the music.
He also started conducting music from later periods, including Viennese operettas. He made a very important recording of Beethoven's symphonies with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Harnoncourt was often a guest conductor for the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. Between 1987 and 1991, he conducted four new productions of Mozart operas at the Vienna State Opera. He also led the famous Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Day concerts in 2001 and 2003.
Festivals and Other Performances
In 1992, Harnoncourt first performed at the Salzburg Festival, a very important music festival. He conducted many concerts there with different orchestras. He also led major opera productions at the festival, including Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni.
He also conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam many times. In 2000, they named him their "Honorary Guest Conductor." His last performance with them was in 2013.
Harnoncourt recorded other types of music too. In 2002, he recorded Bruckner's Symphony No. 9. This recording included a special lecture by Harnoncourt about the symphony. In 2009, he recorded Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.
On December 5, 2015, just before his 86th birthday, Harnoncourt announced he was retiring. He said his health no longer allowed him to continue.
Styriarte Festival
Harnoncourt was a big part of the annual classical music festival called Styriarte. This festival started in 1985 in his hometown of Graz. He planned the festival for 31 years. Concerts were held in different places around Graz.
Personal Life
Nikolaus Harnoncourt met his wife Alice because they both loved performing Baroque music in a historically accurate way. They started the Concentus Musicus Wien group together. Their daughter, Elisabeth von Magnus, is a mezzo-soprano singer. They had two other sons, Philipp and Franz. Their third son, Eberhard, who made violins, died in a car accident in 1990.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt passed away on March 5, 2016, in Austria. His wife Alice, their three children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren survived him. Alice died in 2022.
Awards and Honors
Nikolaus Harnoncourt received many awards for his musical work. Some of these include:
- Erasmus Prize (1980)
- Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class (1987)
- Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1993)
- Polar Music Prize (1994)
- Grammy Award (2001)
- Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (2002)
- Kyoto Prize for Lifetime Achievement (2005)
- Bach Medal (2007)
- Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal (2010)
- Gold Medal for services to the city of Vienna (2011)
He was also a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
Recordings
Here are some of Nikolaus Harnoncourt's notable recordings:
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Gamba Sonatas (with Frans Brüggen)
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Harpsichord Concertos (with Gustav Leonhardt)
- Franz Schubert: Symphonies (with Chamber Orchestra of Europe)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concertos No. 23 & 25 (with Rudolf Buchbinder)
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1–5 (with Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Pierre-Laurent Aimard)
- Schumann: Piano Concerto and Violin Concerto (with Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Gidon Kremer, Martha Argerich)
See also
In Spanish: Nikolaus Harnoncourt para niños
