Peter Maag

Peter Maag built his standing across European stages through a combination of technical assurance and an unusually wide range of repertoire, while also appearing with regularity in American opera houses. Although opera occupied the greater part of his professional life, several recordings attest to his command of symphonic scores and imply that more sustained concert activity might have enlarged his influence in that domain. After completing his musical education in Zürich and Basel, he worked with Ernest Ansermet in Geneva and shortly thereafter became the older conductor’s assistant. His first post was as coach and chorus master at Biel-Solothum in 1943; two years later he advanced to the position of resident conductor. From 1952 to 1954 he served as principal conductor in Düsseldorf, then moved to Bonn, where he acted as music director from 1954 to 1959. He made his Covent Garden debut in 1959 leading Die Zauberflöte. Between 1964 and 1968 he held the chief conductorship of Vienna’s Volksoper. His first American engagement took place on 1 November 1961 at Chicago’s Lyric Opera, where he conducted Così fan tutte. Illness prevented Elisabeth Schwarzkopf from singing Fiordiligi, a circumstance that contributed to a measured character in the performance. Further complications attended Don Giovanni when Schwarzkopf withdrew and Lisa della Casa was summoned to sing Donna Elvira. The premiere nonetheless earned positive notices, and later performances gained additional strength once Schwarzkopf resumed the role. Maag also led the Lyric’s Fidelio, overcoming an unreliable horn section to produce an intense reading with Birgit Nilsson and Jon Vickers. He first appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in September 1972 conducting Don Giovanni and remained on the roster for three seasons, taking charge of Norma, Die Zauberflöte, and La Traviata as well. Critics praised his sensitivity toward singers yet observed that he secured less luster from the orchestra in Verdi’s music. Between 1982 and 1991 he served as music director of the Berne Municipal Opera. Among his most significant recordings are complete symphony cycles of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Schubert, together with Schumann’s works for piano and orchestra. For Decca he directed a Luisa Miller that featured Milnes, Caballé, and Pavarotti. Several further operas survive in recordings made from stage performances.