Cord Garben

Within the realm of classical recordings, Cord Garben long enjoyed greater recognition for his work behind the console than for his own performances at the keyboard or on the podium. Eight Grammy awards recognized the albums he guided into existence. Collectors of an earlier generation encountered his name repeatedly on Deutsche Grammophon releases featuring von Karajan, Fischer-Dieskau, and Michelangeli that he supervised from the 1970s onward. Yet he maintained an unbroken parallel career as pianist, most often supporting vocalists, and as conductor. In later years he assembled an extensive catalog of his own, serving as recital partner to leading lieder singers such as Anne Sofie von Otter, Hildegard Behrens, Brigitte Fassbaender, Andreas Schmidt, and Thomas Allen, while also directing and performing seldom-heard scores, among them Carl Loewe’s piano sonatas. Instrumental collaborations included a disc with violinist Gottfried Schneider of Godowsky’s 12 Impressions for Violin and Piano issued by Etcetera. His recordings have appeared on DG, Naxos, Sony, Harmonia Mundi, CPO, Orfeo, and Hänssler Classics.

Born in Bad Homburg, Germany, in 1943, Garben pursued his training at the Academy of Music and Theater in Hanover. Immediately after completing his studies he joined the Niedersächsische Staatstheater in that city as a vocal coach. Concert appearances as an accompanist soon followed, after which Deutsche Grammophon engaged him as a producer.

In 1975 he served as executive producer for the label’s comprehensive multi-disc edition of Schumann lieder performed by Fischer-Dieskau. Numerous further projects with Fischer-Dieskau ensued, alongside sessions with Rostropovich, Michelangeli, and von Karajan; the last of these included the conductor’s initial recordings with Anne-Sophie Mutter, the 1978 accounts of Mozart’s Violin Concertos No. 3 and No. 5. Garben was named director of vocal productions at Deutsche Grammophon in 1986. By that time his reputation as pianist and conductor was already established. Three years later he led the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra in support of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli for a DG recording of Mozart’s Piano Concertos No. 20 and No. 25.

Through the 1990s and into the following decade he sustained a dual presence in live performance and the studio. One major undertaking was a 21-CD survey for CPO of Carl Loewe’s complete songs, realized with the participation of Andreas Schmidt, Kurt Moll, Ruth Ziesak, and additional soloists.