Fritz Lehmann

Fritz Lehmann (17 May 1904 – 30 March 1956) was a noted German conductor, whose career was cut short by his early death at the age of 51.

His repertoire ranged from the Baroque through to contemporary works, in both the concert hall and the opera house.

Recording 6 cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach he conducted the Berliner Motettenchor (Berlin Motet Choir), a 1949 by Günther Arndt founded mixed youth choir, with the Berlin Philharmonic and soloists including Helmut Krebs and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who also appeared in his 1949 recording of the St Matthew Passion for Les Discophiles Français, as the Evangelist and Vox Christi (voice of Christ).

[2] He simultaneously had an active career as a guest conductor in various European countries and Argentina, and led the Bamberg Symphony on a tour of Spain.

[1] During the interval while conducting the St Matthew Passion in Munich, on Good Friday, 30 March 1956, Lehmann collapsed and died of a heart attack, aged only 51.

Göttinger Gedenktafel - Lehmann, Fritz