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Born: June 1, 1930 - Rosenau, near Kronstadt, Romania
Died: May 3, 1998 - Ruhpolding, Bavaria, Germany |
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The Romanian-Gerrman conductor, Erich Bergel, was already at the age of 18 flutist of the Sibiu Philharmonic. From 1950 to 1955 he studied conducting, organ and composition at the Conservatory in Cluj.
Since the mid-1960's Erich Bergel appeared as a conductor. He became chief conductor of the Cluj Philharmonic Orchestra (now renamed the Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra) and a frequent guest conductor of the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra and the Radio Symphony Orchestra. He fled to Germany where he was promoted by Herbert von Karajan. Since 1972, he conducted international leading orchestras on concert tours, including in Paris, Auckland, Los Angeles, Berlin, Vienna and Cape Town. In addition, he taught conducting and music education at the Hochschule der Künste in West Berlin. From 1971 to 1974 he was chief conductor of the Nordwestdeutschen Philharmonie Herford. In 1989 he became chief conductor for life of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra.
Erich Bergel's version of Die Kunst der Fuge (BWV 1080) is the result of his lifelong association with J.S. Bach's music. Indeed, when he was imprisoned by the communist government of Romania for conducting religious works, he survived in no small part by studying Die Kunst der Fuge (BWV 1080). He recorded his orchestration and the Cluj Philharmonic Orchestra, which plays very well for him. Bergel has completed himself the last, great fugue, and no less than Herbert von Karajan called this completion "an epoch-making feat". |
