Giuseppe Sinopoli (1946-2001) : a survey of his Bruckner performances (1983-99)

Abstract

Giuseppe Sinopoli was born in Venice on 2 November 1946 of a Venetian mother and Sicilian father. He began his musical studies when he was 12 and continued them at the Venice Conservatory while also studying medicine at the University of Padua. Later on he studied conducting with Hans Swarowsky in Vienna and composition with Bruno Maderna and Franco Donatoni in Darmstadt, Germany. He also composed several works, the most important being his 1981 opera, Lou Salome. During the last years of his life he also studied archaeology at La Sapienza University of Rome. He died while conducting Aida in Berlin on 20 April 2001. In addition to his life as an itinerant conductor of opera and symphonic music, Sinopoli held several other posts, the most durable of which was the directorship of the venerable Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra, where he was resident conductor from 1992. From 1983 to 1987 he was the chief conductor of the St. Cecilia Academy Orchestra in Rome. He was appointed principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra of London in 1984, and was music director there from 1987 to 1995. According to Keith Bragg, former Chairman of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Sinopoli 'was a hugely charismatic figure, larger than life in every sense of the word, and this, combined with his young age of 54, made his untimely death all the more bewildering. He was a warm and generous character and a deeply committed musician who was passionate about his art.' (Bragg 2001) Sinopoli's executive producer Ewald Markl exclaimed that 'with the passing away of Giuseppe Sinopoli we have lost a conductor who was young in years but whose manner was reminiscent of conductors of days now long-forgotten. Giuseppe Sinopoli was a conductor who quoted Byron to explain Robert Schumann's Manfred Overture; a conductor who thanked his Japanese hosts with spontaneous Haikus; a conductor who telephoned his family in Rome after a performance to dictate a Greek exercise to his eldest son; and a conductor who, just a few weeks ago, gave a concert in Caracas performed exclusively by children who live on the streets'. (Markl 2001).