Wolfgang Stresemann

Wolfgang Stresemann, born in Dresden in 1904 and raised in Berlin, initially wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father Gustav Stresemann, who later became Chancellor and Foreign Minister of the Weimar Republic, and go into politics. Instead, after studying law, he devoted himself intensively to music, which enabled him to pursue a career as a music writer and eventually also as a conductor during his exile in the United States. After returning to Germany, he became artistic director of the RIAS Orchestra in Berlin and, from 1959 to 1978, artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. When he was once again appointed acting director of the Philharmonic in 1984 at the height of the "Karajan crisis," he was considered the grand seigneur of Berlin's musical life. Stresemann died in Berlin in 1998.
This volume uses reviews from the German-language New Yorker Staats-Zeitung, correspondence with conductor Bruno Walter, and photographic documents from Stresemann's estate to illustrate his life and work, as well as his friendships with many important musicians of his time. Stresemann played a key role in enabling musicians who had emigrated during the Nazi era to perform in Germany again.
With contributions by Werner Grünzweig, Klaus Lang, and Hans Zender.

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