Christian Kluttig (born 17 August 1943) is a German conductor, pianist and Hochschullehrer. From 1979 to 1990, he was chief conductor of the . Appointed General Music Director in 1983, he worked as such at the theatres in Halle (Saale) and Theater Koblenz. The Handel interpreter rendered special services to the implementation of Historically informed performance in the Saale city, which made him one of the most important protagonists in this field in the GDR. He also devoted himself to Neue Musik, premiering Reiner Bredemeyer's opera Candide.
Life Kluttig was born in Dresden as a sonJens Fritzsche: Eine musikalische Heimkehr. On Sunday, an unusual song recital can be experienced in Radeberg. And an unusual gramophone. In the Sächsische Zeitung, 19 October 2017, . of the cantor and subsequent Kirchenmusikdirektor Gottfried Kluttig (1913-2004). Kluttig had accordingly grown up with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.Christian Kluttig, Wolfgang Lange: Auftakt. Conversations with Conductors: Christian Kluttig in conversation with Wolfgang Lange. In: Theater der Zeit 10/1985, , here . In his hometown, he attended the Kreuzschule. From 1961 to 1967, he studied conducting with general music director Rudolf Neuhaus and Horst Förster at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden. Peter Gülke: With modesty and cordiality - Christian Kluttig turns 70. In Musik in Dresden, 3 September 2013. Furthermore, he took part in conducting courses given by Arvīds Jansons and Igor Markevitch in Weimar as well as Hans Swarowsky and Witold Rowicki in Vienna.Christian Kluttig, Wolfgang Lange: Auftakt. Gespräche mit Dirigenten: Christian Kluttig im Gespräch mit Wolfgang Lange. In Theater der Zeit 10/1985, , here .
After he had also undergone piano training in Dresden with Ingeborg Finke-Siegmund, he received his first engagement as solo répétiteur with conducting duties at the Saxon State Opera in 1967.Andreas Baumann: Entschiedener Impulsgeber - Der in Dresden geborene Dirigent Christian Kluttig wird 70. In the Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten, 17 August 2013, . There, he was active as an opera conductor for the first time with Le postillon de Lonjumeau by Adolphe Adam, Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber and Die Zauberflöte by Mozart. In 1969, he also conducted his first Handel opera with Deidamia.Manfred Rätzer: Die halleschen Händel-Opern-Pioniere sollen im Gedächtnis bleiben. Prof. Christian Kluttig on his 70th birthday. In Mitteilungen des Freundes- und Förderkreises des Händel-Hauses zu Halle e.V. 1/2014, , here . In Dresden, he learned a lot from guest conductors such as Rudolf Kempe and Igor Markevitch during orchestral work.
With his Dresden qualifications, he moved in 1969 to Karl-Marx-Stadt (now Chemnitz), where he became First Kapellmeister at the city Theater in 1969. In this capacity he studied among others the operas Simon Boccanegra by Verdi and The Queen of Spades by Tchaikovsky. At the Opera House, he conducted the premiere of the Carl Riha production of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with Kammersänger Konrad Rupf as Hans Sachs in 1974.Meistersinger"-Premiere in Karl-Marx-Stadt. In Neues Deutschland, 14 October 1974, vol. 29, issue 284, . In a later interview (1985), he stated that his Wagner work so far had proved to be "a great happiness" for him. At the same time, he regretted that he had hardly found the opportunity to interpret him.Christian Kluttig, Wolfgang Lange: Auftakt. Conversations with Conductors: Christian Kluttig in conversation with Wolfgang Lange. In Theater der Zeit 10/1985, , here . In 1975, he rose to the position of Musical Director. In 1979, he opened the Robert Schumann Days in the with Schumann's oratorio Paradise and the Peri.Günther Wendekamm: Festliches Konzert zum Beginn der Schumann-Tage. In Neues Deutschland, 9 June 1979, vol. 34, issue 134, . In addition, he devoted himself in Chemnitz to the symphonic work of Dmitri Shostakovich and Gustav Mahler.
Finally, in 1979, artistic director Ulf Keyn brought him to the Landestheater Halle as musical director. The new management team continued to include Martin Schneider (opera director), Karin Zauft (chief dramaturge), Peter Sodann (drama director) and Dieter Wardetzki (1st play director of the Sprechtheater).Georg Antosch: Stück-Anregungen von den Bühnen der Welt. Efforts for sophisticated stage art. In Neue Zeit, 1 March 1980, Vol. 36, Issue 52, . He also became chief conductor of the Karin Zauft: Handel and the Handel Festival in Halle. Mitteldeutscher Verlag, Halle (Saale) 2001, , . and took over all George Frideric Handel productions in Halle from 1979 to 1990.Axel Schiederjürgen (Red.): Kürschners Musiker-Handbuch. Soloists, conductors, composers, university teachers. 5th edition, Saur, Munich 2006, , . Thus he directed Ezio (1979), Agrippina (1980), Poro (1981), Alessandro (1983), Floridante (1984), Il pastor fido and Terpsichore (1985), Partenope (1985), Rinaldo (1987), Oreste (1988) and Tamerlano (1990). With 41 performances, the opera Rinaldo was the second most performed Handel production in Halle.Manfred Rätzer: Die halleschen Händel-Opern-Pioniere sollen im Erinnerung bleiben. Prof. Christian Kluttig on his 70th birthday. In Mitteilungen des Freundes- und Förderkreises des Händel-Hauses zu Halle e.V. 1/2014, , here . Kluttig received support regarding performance practice from the musicologist Bernd Baselt.We congratulate Christian Kluttig. In Magazin der Händel-Festspiele (2014), . Kluttig had to cope with "an immense workload and encrusted structures" in connection with the , according to opera director Andreas Baumann. In addition to Baumann, from 1981, he worked closely in Halle with Peter Konwitschny, from 1986. Thus Kluttig played his part in opening up the festival to theatre directors.Johannes Killyen: Zur Geschichte der Händel-Pflege in Halle Wiederentdeckung des historischen Klanges. In Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, 5 May 2001. Kluttig helped several singers socialised in Leipzig to get engagements in the Saale city, mainly on the recommendation of the singing teacher Helga Forner.Christian Kluttig, Heike Bronn: Conducting won't let me go - Interview with Prof. Christian Kluttig. In MT-Journal. Zeitschrift der Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig, No. 25 (2008), , here . Among the new recruits were Annette Markert, Juliane Claus, Hendrikje Wangemann, Jürgen Trekel and Tomas Möwes. He repeatedly invited Simone Kermes as a guest. The first "in-house" countertenor Axel Köhler received special support. According to Baumann, Kluttig stood for the "retention of Handel's dramaturgy" and had "new translations produced that were oriented towards the original text". In this way, Kluttig provided essential suggestions for a "New Handel Style Halle". Halle advanced to become an "East German centre of historical performance practice", as music journalist Michael Struck-Schloen put it.Michael Struck-Schloen: Aller Glamour kommt von oben. Musical quality and scenic routine at the 47th Handel Festival in Halle. In Süddeutsche Zeitung, 1 July 1998, . For musicologist Karin Zauft, Kluttig was one of the pioneers of historical performance practice in the GDRKarin Zauft: The Search for Authentic Sound - Balancing Act between Subjectivity, Perception of Time and Historical Knowledge. In Boje Schmuhl (ed.): Historical Performance Practice and its Perspectives. XXXth Scientific Workshop, Michaelstein, 10-12 May 2002 (Michaelsteiner Konferenzberichte. Vol. 67). Wißner, Augsburg 2007, , , here . The opera ensemble made guest appearances both in the so-called Eastern Bloc (Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary) as well as in the Federal Republic of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. After performances in 1985 at the Prague Spring International Music FestivalGuesting with "Flondante" at Prague Spring (Mit "Flondante" beim Prager Frühling zu Gast). In Neues Deutschland, 25 May 1985, Jg. 40, Ausgabe 121, and at the Dresden Music Festivals, guest appearances took him to the Kissinger Sommer even before the fall of the Wall. (1989–1993, 1995, 2000/01)Stadt Bad Kissingen (ed.): 25. Kissinger Sommer. Bad Kissingen o. J., . und zu den Innsbruck Festival of Early Music.
In Halle, according to Gilbert Stöck, he was also responsible for "two nationally acclaimed productions of contemporary and at the same time socialy critic operas":Gilbert Stöck: Neue Musik in den Bezirken Halle und Magdeburg zur Zeit der DDR. Compositions, Politics, Institutions. Schröder, Leipzig 2008, , p. 269/Fn. 496. In 1984, Der Preis by Karl Ottomar Treibmann was staged and in 1986 Candide by Reiner Bredemeyer was premiered.Nina Noeske: Die beste aller möglichen Welten: Bredemeyer's Candide (1981/82). In Michael Berg, Albrecht von Massow, Nina Noeske: Between Power and Freedom. Neue Musik in the GDR. Böhlau Verlag, Weimar 2004, , , . On the occasion of the Hallische Musiktage, he repeatedly premiered works by foreign composers with the Handel Festival Orchestra, such as in 1980 Avet Terterian's Symphony No. 5 and 1985 Primož Ramovš's Dialogue for Piano and Orchestra (soloist: Bettina Otto).Mantred Meier: Experimentierlust und Phantasie im Einsatz für neue Musik. Encounter with Union friend Bettina Otto, harpsichordist and pianist. In Neue Zeit, 6 April 1985, Vol. 41, Issue 81, . As Gilbert Stöck noted, Kluttig was also open to works by Gerd Domhardt. Thus in 1982Wilhelm Buschkötter, Hansjürgen Schaefer: Handbuch der internationalen Konzertliteratur. Instrumental and vocal music = Manual of international concert literature. 2nd, revised and expanded edition, de Gruyter, Berlin among others 1996, , . whose Symphony II was premiered. In 1990, he premiered Günter Neubert's orchestral music Das verschenkte Weinen. In 1990, at the Handel House, he was one of the co-founders of the Halle Music Council, as whose vice-chairman he served from then on.Halle Music Council Founded. In the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, 28 March 1990, . The declining attendance figures at the Landestheater Halle in the course of the Peaceful Revolution probably ultimately led to the resignation of the Kluttig and Baumann team.thg.: In Zuerich getroffen. Christian Kluttig – Haendel-Spezialist nach der Wende. In Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 2 April 1993.
After a guest appearance, he was from 1991 to 1998Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, lmr-rp.de, retrieved 22 January 2021 2020. in succession to James Lockhart Chief Conductor of the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie and, as it were, Musical Director of the Theater Koblenz.Chief Conductor from Halle Goes to Koblenz. In the Berliner Zeitung, 21 March 1991, vol. 47, issue 68, . There, he cultivated both the operatic and the concert repertoire Thus, on the one hand, he conducted the Handel operas Giulio Cesare (1989), Serse (1993), Alcina (1997) and Tamerlano (1999), on the other hand, he performed all Mahler symphonies. On the occasion of the 2000th anniversary of the city, he performed Mahler's Symphony No. 8 a festive concert in the Sporthalle Oberwerth.Chronik, musik-institut-koblenz.de, retrieved 22 January 2021. With the orchestra, he was responsible for the world premiere of Róbert Wittinger's Sinfonia no. 5. During Kluttig's tenure, the orchestra received the "Best Concert Programme of the 1995/96 Season" award from the Deutscher Musikverleger-Verband.Bestes Konzertprogramm der Spielzeit , dmv-online.com, retrieved 22 January 2021.