Ferdinand Leitner

Ferdinand Leitner (4 March 1912 in Berlin – 3 June 1996 in Zürich) was a German conductor. Leitner studied under Franz Schreker, Julius Prüwer, Artur Schnabel and Karl Muck. He also was a composition student with Robert Kahn.^[1] Starting as a pianist, through the help of Fritz Busch, he became a conductor in the 1930s. He was conductor of the Nollendorfplatz Theater in Berlin from 1943 to 1945; in Hannover from 1945 to 1946; in Munchen from 1946 to 1947; and starting in 1947 the General Music Director of the Württemberg State Opera in Stuttgart.

He is famous as a conductor of opera, his favourite composers being Wagner, Richard Strauss, Mozart, and twentieth-century composers Carl Orff and Karl Amadeus Hartmann. He succeeded Erich Kleiber in 1956 as conductor for the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. From 1976 to 1980, he worked in The Hague as principal conductor of Het Residentie Orkest.

Among his more than 300 recordings is a celebrated recording of Ferruccio Busoni's Doktor Faust.^[2] ^[3]

References

^ Burkhard Laugwitz (translated Reinhard G. Pauly), "Robert Kahn and Brahms". The Musical Quarterly, 74(4), pp. 595-609 (1990).
^ Ronald Stevenson, Review of recording of Busoni's Doktor Faust. Musical Times, 112(1535), p. 39 (1971).
^ Calum MacDonald, Review of recordings of music of Busoni. Tempo (New Series, 50th Anniversary), 170, pp. 49-50 (1989).

Preceded by Jean Martinon	Principal Conductor, Het Residentie Orkest 1976–1980	Succeeded by Hans Vonk

Persondata
Name	Leitner, Ferdinand
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Date of birth	4 March 1912
Place of birth
Date of death	3 June 1996
Place of death