Vienna Opera mourns a chorusmaster
mainThe Vienna State Opera is in mourning for Helmut Froschauer, who died today at 85.
Raised in the Vienna Boys Choir, Helmuth Emil Froschauer became one of its directors atb age 209. From 1968 to 1991 he was simultaneously chorus repetiteur at the Vienna State Opera, choir director of the Singverein, the Bregenz and the Salzburg festivals and choir director at the Vienna State Opera. From 1992 he was choral director at WDR and until 2003 Chief Conductor of the WDR Radio Orchestra Cologne.
Rest in peace
age 209? Wow!
Froschauer was the Chorus Master of the Musikverein during Karajan’s last years. I remember some fantastic performances of the Mozart, Brahms and Verdi requiems and of Bach’s b minor Mass and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, among others.
I believe he was also the father of the current WPO chairman, Daniel Froschauer, who started his musical career singing in the Vienna Boys Choir.
Yes. As if he wasn’t getting into the VPO after Juilliard.