Walter Schartner

Schartner was born in Berlin in 1894.[1] There he attended the Stern Conservatory where Leo Blech was his main teacher.[1] A first Kapellmeister position in Königsberg was followed by posts in Münster and Bremerhaven.[1] In 1926, he conducted the Hans Rudolf Waldburg production of Handel's opera Rodelinda in Bremerhaven. From 1928 to 1944, he worked in Görlitz.[1] In 1928, he became musical director of the Theatre Görlitz, and in 1930 took over the symphony concerts.[2]

In 1945, Schartner was appointed director of the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden.[1] Guest conducting led him among others at the Semperoper and the Dresden Philharmonic.[3] After a guest performance in Halle in 1946, he received his appointment as Municipal Music Director by the Lord Mayor of Halle, Karl Pretzsch at the suggestion of the Theatre Committee.[1] In June 1946, he conducted his first symphony concert in Halle.[1] Following a proposal by Pretzsch, the president of the province of Saxony, Erhard Hübener, appointed him Generalmusikdirektor in September 1946.[1] In 1948, he conducted the premiere of Handels Xerses at the Thalia Theater; the production was directed by Sigurd Baller. In Halle, he also made a name for himself as a composer, and in 1948 his opera Und Pippa tanzt based on And Pippa dances! eponymous play by Gerhart Hauptmann was premiered at the Landestheater.[1] He also headed the opera department at the Staatliche Hochschule für Theater und Musik Halle.[3] In April 1949, Richard Schallock, the Minister for National Education, Arts and Science, declared that his contract as general music director would not be renewed.[1] Nevertheless, he was appointed artistic director of the Philharmonic State Orchestra Halle in 1949/50.[1]

In 1950, Schartner received a proposition from the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber.[4] In 1950/51, he was conductor of the {Loh-Orchester Sondershausen.[5] After that, he was conductor of the Berliner Rundfunk.[6] In 1951, together with the Berlin Radio Choir and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra he presented the complete opera recording of ' Lortzing's Regina.[7] Later he was 1st Kapellmeister and Musical Director of the Volkspark Rehberge in West Berlin.[6]

Until his death, Schartner was married with the composer, pianist, lyricist and chanson interpreter Jeanette Chéro (born 1927, née Roscher, civil name Christiane Schartner).[8]

• Susanne Baselt: Chronik des Philharmonischen Staatsorchesters Halle. Part I: 1946 bis 1964. Edited by the management of the Philharmonic State Orchestra Halle, 1999, pp. 38ff.
• Herbert A. Frenzel, Hans Joachim Moser (ed.): Kürschners biographisches Theater-Handbuch. Schauspiel, Oper, Film, Rundfunk. Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz. de Gruyter, Berlin 1956, p. 637.

• Literature by and about Walter Schartner in the German National Library catalogue
• Walter Schartner discography at Discogs