He began his career as a film director in 1933, he then became involved in the operatic theatre, becoming an assistant to Walter Felsenstein at the Oper Frankfurt.
He directed a production of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fidelio for the opening of the Bavarian State Opera's 1945 season.
There he directed two landmark productions of operas by Gioachino Rossini: The Barber of Seville and Il turco in Italia.
These productions are credited with helping spark the bel canto revival of the mid twentieth century.
During his tenure he directed productions of Rossini's La pietra del paragone, Handel's Jephtha, Strauss's Capriccio, Henze's Elegy for Young Lovers Mozart's Don Giovanni, Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea, and Cavalli's Ormindo.