Fritz Rieger

Friedrich Edmund "Fritz" Rieger, (28 June 1910 in Oberaltstadt, Karkonosze, Bohemia – 30 September 1978 in Bonn Germany) was a German conductor.

From 1931 to 1938 Rieger worked in Prague. In August 1941 he became director of the Bremen opera, and in August 1944 he took up the position of director of the Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra. [cite book
pages=171
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=O1O7-_-44RQC&pg=PA171&vq=%22fritz+rieger%22&dq=%22Neuanfang+auf+Tr%C3%BCmmern%22&sig=kmblWo1YPdrTG2flZ2SS0b-ccKA
title=Neuanfang auf Trümmern: Die Tagebücher des Bremer Bürgermeisters Theodor Spitta 1945-1947
date=1992
language=German
publisher=Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag
location=Munich
isbn=3486559389
first=Theodor
last=Spitta
coauthors=Ursula Büttner, Angelika Voss-Louis] Rieger was a member of the Nazi party. [cite book
pages=187
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Yx6UUD6M1LEC&pg=PA187&vq=%22fritz+rieger%22&dq=%22settling+scores%22&sig=ckJRZoQo9g5Ph-_azTlTtyze4Xk
first=David
last=Monod
title=Settling Scores: German Music, Denazification, & the Americans, 1945-1953
publisher=University of North Carolina Press
isbn=0807829447
date=2005]

In 1949 Rieger was announced as the chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra by the city government, replacing the modernist Hans Rosbaud who had been appointed by U.S. occupation authorities. According to author David Monod, the decision to release Rosbaud and replace him with the "young and relatively unknown but suitably conservative" Rieger was caused by a desire to attract larger audiences with more traditional programs, a necessity in the wake of currency reform in the western part of Germany. [Monod (2006), [http://books.google.com/books?id=KO4001a3o6kC&pg=PA55&vq=%22fritz+rieger%22&dq=%22Deutsche+Leitkultur+Musik%3F%22&sig=38M3f-Ru5roM_Guvo1ZPlsLjGmA p. 55] ] In 1952, Rieger announced that the orchestra would eliminate almost all modern music from its concerts. [ Monod (2006), [http://books.google.com/books?id=KO4001a3o6kC&pg=PA56&vq=In+1952+Rieger+announced+that+the+Munich+Philharmonic+was+all+but+eliminating+the+modern-music+component+of+its+subscription+concerts&dq=%22Deutsche+Leitkultur+Musik%3F%22&sig=kL31vSP-APJYOnw_i3XanfI-za0 p. 56] ] Rieger continued to lead the Munich orchestra until 1966.

Fritz Rieger was chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra from 1972 to 1973.

Notes

References

* citation
pages=47-60
first=David
last=Monod
contribution=Americanizing the Patron State? Government and Music under American Occupation, 1945-1953
title=Deutsche Leitkultur Musik?: Zur Musikgeschichte nach dem Holocaust
editor-first= Albrecht
editor-last=Riethmüller
date=2006
publisher=Franz Steiner
location=Stuttgart
isbn=3515089748

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Studio/2891/rieger-dis.htm Fritz Rieger discography]
* [http://www.klassika.info/Dirigenten/Rieger/ Fritz Rieger biographical details De icon]