Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos – The Danish National Symphony In Concert – December 6, 2012 – Danish Radio –
Over to Copenhagen this week for a performance featuring Rafael Frübeck de Burgos leading the Danish National Symphony in a program of music by Søren Nils Eichberg, Beethoven and Stravinsky.
Starting with Eichberg’s Fanfare and leading straight into Beethoven’s Symphony Number 3 “Eroica” and concluding with Stravinsky’s Rite Of Spring – all recorded live by Danish Radio on December 6, 2012.
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos was born in Burgos, Spain to a family of German ancestry. He first took up conducting while on military service in the Spanish Army before graduating from the Hochschule für Musik in Munich. Frühbeck was principal conductor of various orchestras around the world, starting with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra from 1958 to 1962, then moving on to the Spanish National Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo and many others. Throughout his career Frühbeck de Burgos recorded on a number of labels. He was a member of the Academy of Fine Arts and History Institución Fernán González. His honours include the 2011 Conductor of the Year award from Musical America.
In February 2011, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Frühbeck de Burgos as its principal conductor, as of the 2012–2013 season, with an initial contract of three years through 2015. However, on 4 June 2014, he resigned as chief conductor of the orchestra, with immediate effect. In parallel, Frühbeck de Burgos announced his retirement from conducting and that he had cancer. His final concert as a conductor had been in Washington, DC on 14 March 2014, with the National Symphony Orchestra.
Frühbeck de Burgos recorded on a number of labels, where his recordings include Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah, the Mozart Requiem, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Georges Bizet’s Carmen. He was known as well for his recording of the complete works of Manuel de Falla and a series of complete zarzuela recordings. Frühbeck orchestrated a suite from Isaac Albéniz’s Suite española and conducted the New Philharmonia Orchestra in a commercial recording of this arrangement. His work in contemporary music included conducting the world premiere production of Gian Carlo Menotti’s opera Goya. He was a member of the Academy of Fine Arts and History Institución Fernán González. His honours include the 2011 Conductor of the Year award from Musical America.
Enjoy the concert.
