A Musicians’ Musician

A Musicians’ Musician commemorated the 40th anniversary of Rudolf Kempe’s death in May 1976. Billed as Concert III of the Society’s 2016 Songs of Apollo season, it brought together Kempe’s favourite chamber music, played by his fellow musicians from London, Zurich, Munich and Dresden, and an hour of excerpts from video recordings of Kempe conducting. It was given twice on Sunday 8 May 2016, at 6.00 pm and 8.30 pm, at the Kempe Studio at The Muses, 58 Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon. It was given in aid of the Rudolf Kempe Society International Young Artists Platform.

Performers

• Musicians who had played under Rudolf Kempe in London, Zurich, Munich and Dresden

Programme

Kempe’s favourite chamber music

• Music by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms

Kempe conducting – an hour of excerpts from video recordings

• Music by Beethoven, Richard Strauss, Bruckner, Wagner, Brahms and others

About the programme

Rudolf Kempe led orchestras in each of the four cities – the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Symphony orchestras in London, the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich, the Munich Philharmonic and the Staatskapelle in Dresden – and musicians from his orchestras met every year at The Muses to play in his memory. Three days later the Society held a second commemoration in Dresden (see Rudolf Kempe zum 40. Todestag).