Josef Alois Krips Austrian conductor and violinist Date of Birth: 08.04.1902 Country: Austria

1. Early Life and Education
2. Career Beginnings
3. Return to Vienna and Flight from Nazism
4. Post-World War II Career
5. Later Career and Death
6. Recordings

Early Life and Education

Joseph Krips, an Austrian conductor and violinist, was born in Vienna, Austria, on April 8, 1902. His elder brother, Henry Krips, later emigrated to Australia and served as the chief conductor of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra from 1949 to 1972, an exceptionally long tenure. Joseph Krips studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where his teachers included Eusebius Mandyczewski (composition and music theory) and Felix Weingartner (conducting).

Career Beginnings

Assistant Conductor at the Vienna Volksoper:From 1921 to 1924, Krips served as Weingartner's assistant conductor at the Vienna Volksoper, acting as a répétiteur and chorus master.

Musical Director of the Karlsruhe Orchestra:In 1926, Krips became the musical director of the orchestra in Karlsruhe, Germany, a position he held until 1933.

Return to Vienna and Flight from Nazism

Conductor of the Volksoper Vienna:In 1933, Krips returned to Vienna as the conductor of the Volksoper. Professor at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts:He also became a professor at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1935.

Salzburg Festival:Krips regularly conducted at the Salzburg Festival from 1935 to 1938.

Forced Emigration:In 1938, the Anschluss, the Nazi annexation of Austria, forced Krips to flee the country. Despite being raised Roman Catholic, his paternal Jewish heritage barred him from pursuing a musical career. He relocated to Belgrade, where he worked with the Belgrade Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra for a year, until Yugoslavia was also drawn into World War II. Krips spent the remainder of the war working in a canning factory.

Post-World War II Career

Chief Conductor of the Wiener Philharmoniker:Upon his return to Austria at the end of the war, Krips became one of the few conductors allowed to resume work as he had no Nazi affiliations. He made history as the first conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Salzburg Festival in the post-war era.

London Symphony Orchestra:From 1950 to 1954, Krips served as the chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra:He later led the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

San Francisco Symphony:From 1963 to 1970, Krips held the position of music director of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

Covent Garden and Metropolitan Opera Debuts:Krips made his debut at the Royal Opera House in 1947 and at the Metropolitan Opera in 1966, becoming a frequent guest at both venues.

Later Career and Death

Deutsche Oper Berlin and Wiener Symphoniker:In 1970, Krips became the general music director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and served as the principal conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra from 1970 to 1973. Joseph Krips passed away on October 13, 1974, in Geneva, Switzerland, at the age of 72, leaving behind a substantial discography.

Recordings

Mozart's "Don Giovanni" (1955):Krips's highly acclaimed recording of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" with the Vienna State Opera, featuring Cesare Siepi and Lisa Della Casa, was released in 1955.

Beethoven Piano Concertos (1957):In 1957, Krips conducted the former NBC Symphony Orchestra, then known as the Symphony of the Air, in a recording of Beethoven's five piano concertos on RCA Victor.

Beethoven Symphonies (1960):In 1960, Krips recorded Beethoven's nine symphonies with Everest Records.

Recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra:Numerous recordings exist of the London Symphony Orchestra under Krips's direction, featuring renowned opera singers and the BBC Chorus. These recordings continue to be critically praised and reissued by both official and pirate labels.

Mozart's Late Symphonies (1970s):In the 1970s, Krips recorded Mozart's late symphonies for Philips Records with the Netherlands' Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, which have also been frequently reissued and recently released by Philips Decca.