Turnovsky died soon after this concert, if the dates a re correct. The Janacek was very exciting, but perhaps somebody could tell me the piece that followed. It was nice to know, Turnovsky looked like a maestro. Was he?
He most definitely was.He was Principal Conductor of the Dresden Symphony from 1966 to 1968 ,when the Prague Spring forced his exile to Austria. His mother rang him in the middle of the night to say that Russian tanks had rolled into Prague. Turnovsky was considered dangerously pro Western in his views and would not have fared well once the Russians got hold of him. As a teenager he had been active in the resistance against the Nazis during WW2 and was eventually sent to a concentration camp by them because his father was Jewish. His career had been restricted in Czechoslovakia and the Dresden post was a break through.He had been promised a lot of work in Vienna while he had control of the Dresden Orchestra and Choir but when he managed to get his family across the East German border into Austria [the VOPOs had not yet been informed of the Russian takeover in Prague] the work with the Vienna Phil suddenly disappeared. He became GMD of the Norwegian Opera and the Opera and orchestra in Bonn.He possibly lacked the political elbows to become a star conductor. Too much of a gentleman.
What is the encore they play ?
The audio is out of sync with the video.
Turnovsky died soon after this concert, if the dates a re correct. The Janacek was very exciting, but perhaps somebody could tell me the piece that followed. It was nice to know,
Turnovsky looked like a maestro. Was he?
The second piece is Ouverture to opera „Libuše“ by B. Smetana
He most definitely was.He was Principal Conductor of the Dresden Symphony from 1966 to 1968 ,when the Prague Spring forced his exile to Austria. His mother rang him in the middle of the night to say that Russian tanks had rolled into Prague. Turnovsky was considered dangerously pro Western in his views and would not have fared well once the Russians got hold of him. As a teenager he had been active in the resistance against the Nazis during WW2 and was eventually sent to a concentration camp by them because his father was Jewish. His career had been restricted in Czechoslovakia and the Dresden post was a break through.He had been promised a lot of work in Vienna while he had control of the Dresden Orchestra and Choir but when he managed to get his family across the East German border into Austria [the VOPOs had not yet been informed of the Russian takeover in Prague] the work with the Vienna Phil suddenly disappeared. He became GMD of the Norwegian Opera and the Opera and orchestra in Bonn.He possibly lacked the political elbows to become a star conductor. Too much of a gentleman.