Albrecht was born in
Essen, the son of the musicologist Hans Albrecht (1902–1961). He studied music in
Kiel and in
Hamburg, where his teachers included
Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg. He was a first-prize winner at the
International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors at age 22. His first post was as a repetiteur at the
Stuttgart State Opera. Later, he became Senior Kapellmeister at the
Staatstheater Mainz, and
Generalmusikdirektor in
Lübeck. He also held posts at the
Deutsche Oper Berlin, the
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and the
Hamburg State Opera. His work in contemporary opera included conducting
Aribert Reimann's
Lear in both its world premiere and its United States premiere, as well as making the first commercial recording of the opera. His other commercial recordings include
Robert Schumann's
Genoveva and
Manfred, and the first commercial recording of
Hans Werner Henze's
Gogo no Eiko (
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea) in its revised Japanese-language version. Albrecht died at age 78 on 2 February 2014 in Berlin.
Czech Philharmonic controversy In 1991, the musicians of the
Czech Philharmonic picked Albrecht as its principal conductor, the first non-Czech conductor named to the post, for a tenure scheduled to last seven years beginning in 1994. The orchestra had played a part in protesting the Soviet domination of their country and reorganized as a self-governing entity. The musician's selection of Albrecht effectively meant the replacing of Czech conductor
Jiří Bělohlávek, who then in 1992 resigned from his position early. Consequently, by the time that he took up the post, the orchestra was already somewhat riven. Albrecht proved effective in improving the Czech Philharmonic's finances and at raising its international profile with foreign tours. He is also acknowledged to have been a musical success, and his recordings with the orchestra included music of
Ervin Schulhoff. However, a series of political conflicts led to his early resignation. In 1994, the Czech Philharmonic was invited to perform at the
Vatican in a concert celebrating reconciliation between
Roman Catholics and
Jews. However, the invitation was to play under the American conductor
Gilbert Levine, already known for his close relationship with the Vatican under
Pope John Paul II and subsequently for the telecast,
Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust. Albrecht vetoed the engagement, ostensibly because the orchestra was too busy, although other speculation on the actual reason for the refusal was that the Vatican did not invite Albrecht.
Other conducting work From 2000 to 2004, he was principal conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, with which he made commercial recordings for such labels as Chandos. In 2003, he caused controversy when he spoke from the podium at one concert to protest the US invasion of Iraq. He later apologized for the incident. In Japan, he served as principal conductor of
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2007, and became its conductor laureate after 2007.
Recordings of complete operas • Berlioz,
Les troyens, Albrecht/Dernesch/Ludwig/Lilowa/Chauvet/Schöne/Ghiuselev, 1976, live in Vienna, Gala • Busoni,
Arlecchino, Albrecht/Bellamy/Wörle/Lorenz/Pape/Lika, 1992, Capriccio • Busoni,
Turandot, Albrecht/Plech/Schreckenbach/Protschka/Pape, 1992, Capriccio • Dvořák,
Armida, Albrecht/Borowska/Ochman/Kříž/Fortune/Daniluk, 1995, live in Prague, Orfeo • Dvořák,
The Devil and Kate (
Čert a Káča), Albrecht/Romanko/Breedt/Straka/Mikuláš, 2007, Orfeo • Dvořák,
Dimitrij, Albrecht/Hajóssyová/Ághová/Vodička/Kusnjer/Mikuláš, 1989, Supraphon • Dvořák,
Jakobín, Albrecht/Danková/Ághová/Lorenz/Lehotsky/Bronikowski/Stephinger, 2003, Orfeo • Dvořák,
King and Collier (
Král a uhlíř), Albrecht/Ághová/Breedt/Lehotsky/Schäfer/Jenis/Mikuláš, 2005, live in Cologne, Orfeo • Dvořák,
Svatební košile, Albrecht/Ághová/Protschka/Kusnjer, 1991, live in Hamburg, Orfeo • Dvořák,
Vanda, Albrecht/Romanko/Tchistiakova/Breedt/Straka/Kusnjer/Kusnjer/Daniluk, 1999, Orfeo • Gurlitt,
Soldaten, Albrecht/Müller/Barainsky/Breedt/Harper/Mohr/Burt, 1998, Orfeo • Gurlitt,
Wozzeck, Albrecht/Lindsley/Wottrich/Wörle/Scharinger/Hermann, 1993, Crystal • Halévy,
La Juive, Albrecht/Ghazarian/Tokody/Carreras/Merritt/Siepi, 1981, live in Vienna, abridged, Legato • Henze,
The Bassarids, Albrecht/Lindsley/Armstrong/Riegel/Tear/Schmidt-A/Murray-W/Burt, 1986, Koch • Henze,
Das verratene Meer (
Gogo no Eiko), Albrecht/Midorikawa/Takahashi/Mihara, 2006, live in Salzburg, Orfeo • Hindemith,
Cardillac, Albrecht/Schweizer/Schunk/Nimsgern/Stamm, 1988, Wergo • Hindemith,
Mathis der Maler, Albrecht/Rossmanith/Hass/Protschka/Kruse/Hermann/Stamm, 1989, Wergo • Hindemith,
Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen, Albrecht/Schnaut/Grundheber, 1986, Wergo • Hindemith,
Das Nusch-Nuschi, Albrecht/Schweizer/Lindsley/Sieber/Schreckenbach/Gahmlich/Knutson/Stamm/Halem, 1987, Wergo • Hindemith,
Sancta Susanna, Albrecht/Donath/Schnaut/Schreckenbach, 1984, Wergo • Janáček,
Osud, Albrecht/Ághová/Straka, 1995, live in Prague, Orfeo • Krenek,
Karl V, Albrecht/Jurinac/Ciesinski-Kr/Schwarz/Moser-T/Melchert/Schreier/Adam, 1980, live in Salzburg, Philips • Liebermann,
Freispruch für Medea, Albrecht/Pollet/Spingler/Kowalski/Haugland/Mist, 1995, live in Hamburg, Musiques Suisses • Marschner,
Hans Heiling, Albrecht/Zeumer/Schröder-Feinen/Gilles/Siukola/Weikl, 1972, live in Torino, Voce • Massenet,
Thérèse, Albrecht/Baltsa/Araiza/Fortune, 1981, live in Rome, Orfeo • Mercadante,
Il giuramento, Albrecht/Bernard/Baltsa/Carreras/Kerns, 1974, live in Berlin, House of Opera • Mercadante,
Il giuramento, Albrecht/Zampieri/Baltsa/Domingo/Kerns, 1979, live in Vienna, Orfeo • Meyerbeer, ''L'africaine'', Albrecht/Brunner/Arroyo/Lamberti/Milnes, 1977, live in Munich, Myto • Puccini,
Gianni Schicchi, Albrecht/Ghazarian/Lilowa/Ramiro/Berry, 1979, live in Vienna, Orfeo • Puccini,
Gianni Schicchi, Albrecht/Rossmanith/Dernesch/Ombuena Valls/Duesing, 1995, DVD, Hamburg, Encore • Puccini,
Suor Angelica, Albrecht/Lorengar/Meyer, 1979, live in Vienna, Bella Voce • Puccini,
Suor Angelica, Albrecht/Gallardo-Domâs/Dernesch, 1995, DVD, Hamburg, Encore • Puccini,
Il tabarro, Albrecht/Zschau/Atlantov/Bruson, 1979, live in Vienna, Bella Voce • Puccini,
Il tabarro, Albrecht/Daniels/Margison/Grundheber, 1995, DVD, Hamburg, Encore • Reimann,
Lear, Albrecht/Varady/Dernesch/Lorand/Knutson/Götz/Holm/Boysen/Fischer-Dieskau/Plöcker, 1978, live in Munich, DG • Schnittke,
Historia von D. Johann Fausten, Albrecht/Schwarz/Raunig/Büchner/Lorenz/Freier, 1995, live in Hamburg, RCA • Schoeck,
Penthesilea, Albrecht/Gessendorf/Marsh/Dernesch/Lipovšek/Hiestermann/Adam, 1982, live in Salzburg, Orfeo • Schönberg,
Erwartung, Albrecht/Nielsen, 2003, Chandos • Schreker,
Der ferne Klang, Albrecht/Schnaut/Juon/Wörle/Moser-T/Hermann/Nimsgern, 1990, Capriccio • Schreker,
Die Gezeichneten, Albrecht/Martin-Ja/Riegel/Becht/Adam/Meven, 1984, live in Salzburg, Orfeo • Schreker,
Der Schatzgräber, Albrecht/Schnaut/Kruse/Protschka/Haage/Helm/Stamm, 1989, live in Hamburg, abridged, Capriccio • Schumann,
Genoveva, Albrecht/Faulkner/Behle-R/Lewis-K/Stamm/Titus/Schultz, 1992, live in Hamburg, Orfeo • Spohr,
Jessonda, Albrecht/Studer/Soffel/Moser-T/Hermann/Hölle, 1985, live in Vienna, Voce • Spohr,
Jessonda, Albrecht/Varady/Behle-R/Moser-T/Fischer-Dieskau/Moll, 1990, live in Hamburg, abridged, Orfeo • Spontini,
Olimpie, Albrecht/Varady/Toczyska/Tagliavini/Fischer-Dieskau/Fortune, 1984, Orfeo • Ullmann,
Der zerbrochene Krug, Albrecht/Barainsky/Breedt/Künzli/Hermann, 1997, Orfeo • Wolf,
Der Corregidor, Albrecht/Donath/Soffel/Hollweg/Fischer-Dieskau/Halem, 1985, Koch Schwann • Zemlinsky,
Eine florentinische Tragödie, Albrecht/Soffel/Riegel/Sarabia, 1984, Schwann • Zemlinsky,
Der König Kandaules, Albrecht/Warren/O’Neal/Pederson, 1996, live in Hamburg, Capriccio • Zemlinsky,
Der Traumgörge, Albrecht/Martin-Ja/Protschka, 1988, Capriccio • Zemlinsky,
Der Zwerg, Albrecht/Nielsen/Studer/Haldas/Riegel/Weller, 1983, Schwann ==References==