Kurt Horres

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Kurt Horres
Born(1932-11-28)28 November 1932
Düsseldorf, Germany
Died2 January 2023(2023-01-02) (aged 90)
Düsseldorf, Germany
Education
Occupations
  • Stage director
  • theatre manager
  • academic teacher
Organizations
Awards

Kurt Horres (28 November 1932 – 2 January 2023) was a German stage director, particularly of opera, and opera manager. He held positions as general manager at the

Folkwang University
.

Life and career

Horres was born in Düsseldorf on 28 November 1932.[1] He studied German studies, theatre science, and art history[2] at the University of Cologne and at the Robert Schumann Conservatory in Düsseldorf.[1][3]

Horres began his career at the Komische Oper Berlin,[2] assisting Walter Felsenstein.[3][4] He worked as a stage director at the Wuppertal, the Cologne Opera, and Theater Bonn.[2] He was Oberspielleiter at the Theater Lübeck[2] until 1964, and then for eleven years opera manager at the Wuppertaler Bühnen.[1][2][3] There he promoted literature operas by composers such as Wolfgang Fortner and Gunther Schuller. He directed the world premiere of Blacher's Yvonne, Prinzessin von Burgund on 15 September 1973, with dancer Pina Bausch in the mute title role.[5][6] During his later years there, Bausch's dance theatre flourished at the same house.[7]

His first became a general manager (Intendant) at the Staatstheater Darmstadt in 1976,[2] with his production of Britten's Tod in Venedig being well known.[7] In 1976, he directed the world premiere of Klebe's Das Mädchen aus Domrémy at the Staatstheater Stuttgart, and in 1980, the premiere of his Der Jüngste Tag at the Mannheim National Theatre, with Hans Wallat conducting.[8] In 1983, he staged the world premiere of Klebe's Die Fastnachtsbeichte in Darmstadt, conducted by Hans Drewanz.[8] In 1984, he became general manager of the Hamburg State Opera in 1984.[4] He chose for his first production Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, using an extremely large ensemble in order to engage with as many employees at the house as possible. However, he faced opposition from opera director Rolf Mares, who was responsible for finances, as well as with conductor Hans Zender and stage technicians who had to work extra hours. The reaction of the audience and press reviews of the premiere were disastrous, and Horres requested to have his contract ended early.[4][7]

Horres became general manager of the

Staatsoper Unter den Linden. He held the position until 1996.[2] He worked as a freelance stage director, with productions at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Oper Frankfurt, and in Amsterdam and Stockholm.[1]

He taught stage direction at the

Folkwang University.[3]

Horres died on 2 January 2023, at age 90 after a long serious illness.[2] Christoph Meyer [de], his successor at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, wrote in memory of what he called one of the personalities who shaped the house: "With great artistic passion, Kurt Horres worked above all as a pioneer of modernity who firmly believed in the future of opera as an art form and convinced audiences of its relevance time and again" ("Mit großer künstlerischer Leidenschaft wirkte Kurt Horres vor allem als Wegbereiter der Moderne, der fest an die Zukunft der Kunstform Oper glaubte und das Publikum immer wieder von ihrer Relevanz überzeugte").[2]

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Kurt Horres / deutscher Regisseur und Theaterintendant; Prof.". Munzinger-Archiv (in German). 30 September 1996. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Rheinoper: Ehemaliger Generalintendant Horres gestorben". Musik Heute (in German). 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Duisburger Musikpreis / 1996 Kurt Horres". Köhler Osbahr Foundation (in German). 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Chronischer Clinch". Der Spiegel (in German). 11 November 1984. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  5. ISBN 9780313252440
    .
  6. ^ "Blacher, Boris: Yvonne, Prinzessin von Burgund" (in German). Boosey & Hawkes. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  7. ^ a b c "Engagierter Theaterbotschafter aus besseren Zeiten". Neue Musikzeitung (in German). 3 January 2003. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  8. ^ a b Klebe, Giselher. "Biografie & Werkverzeichnis" (in German). Giselher Klebe. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  9. ^ Klebe, Giselher (1986). "Wolfgang Fortners Bluthochzeit" (PDF) (in German). Deutsche Oper am Rhein (republished by Schott Music). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Kurt Horres". Wuppertal (in German). 1973. Retrieved 3 January 2023.

External links

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