Autographed official 4” x 6” Bayreuth Festspiele double-weight photograph from the 1964 festival.  The conductor-composer has autographed the recto and then autographed and inscribed the verso, Munich, August, 1971.

Heger (1886-1978) is a kindred spirit with Felix Weingartner, both wished to be recognized for their work as a composer, however, both are remembered for their work as a conductor.  One of the finest of his generation, Heger today is best remembered for his excellent library of EMI opera and operetta recordings.  That said, in his lifetime, he was one of the great pit and podium conductors operating in the German speaking world.  A pupil of another conductor who wished to be remembered for his work as a composer, Max v. Schillings, Heger made his conducting debut in the opera pit of his home town of Strasbourg in 1907.  He remained there until he was called to Nuremburg in 1913.  He remained in Nuremburg until 1921 and decided to give his all to composing.  In 1925 he was called to the Vienna Staatsoper, not able to resist, he remained there until 1933 when he was called to the Berlin Staatsoper as a replacement for the Jewish conductors who had been fired due to the horrendous racial purity laws.  He stayed there throughout World War II and in 1945, he was sent to the Berlin Municipal Opera.  In 1950 he was called to Munich and he spent the rest of his career there.  He guested as both and opera and symphonic conductor through Europe, including Covent Garden in 1926 and then again in 1936.  He conducted the Berlin Philharmonic often, he was a good friend of Wilhelm Furtwängler. He was on a list of favored conductors during the Nazi regime, but it does not appear he had any political leanings in that direction other than maintaining his workload.  He conducted a Beethoven concert in the town of Bayreuth in March of 1945 in an attempt to pick up the mood of the townspeople and was given the Golden Ring of the Town of Bayreuth for his efforts.  That said he did not conduct during the Festival until the run of “Die Meistersinger von Nuremburg” performances in 1964.  He spent a large amount of time in the recording studio during the 1950’s and 1960’s making the many EMI complete opera recordings in his catalog.

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