British-born Sir Jeffrey Tate was one of the most renowned and versatile conductors of his generation. Music critics described him as a "lover of precision" and "aficionado of details."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Bockwoldt
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Sir Jeffrey Tate, the lead conductor of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, died of a heart attack in the Italian city of Bergamo on Friday.
"His music has made the world a better place, and we are infinitely grateful for the hours, days, and years we could spend with Sir Jeffrey," the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra said while announcing his death.
He was 74.
Tate, who spoke fluent German, had been the chief conductor of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra since 2009, with a contract through to 2019.
His repertoire included key works of Richard Wagner, Mozart and Richard Strauss, among others.
He was considered one of the leading interpretors of Wagner and conducted more than 20 complete Ring cycles over his career.
Late knighthood
He was knighted by Britain's Prince William in April this year - just six weeks before his death - in recognition of his international services to music.
Born with a spinal deformity, Tate studied medicine at Cambridge and spent two years as an assistant physician.
His musical career started as a repetiteur and coach at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. He worked as an assistant to Herbert von Karajan in Salzburg and James Levine in New York, as well as to Pierre Boulez in 1976 at the Bayreuth Festival.
He went on to conduct regularly at the New York Metropolitan Opera, and also held posts as the first principal conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra, principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, principal conductor of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and as music director at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.
Peek inside Richard Wagner's newly restored house
The house where composer Richard Wagner once lived - a museum since 1976 - has been restored, renewed and expanded. After three years of work, it opens its doors to visitors on July 26. Here's a sneak preview.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
The villa Wagner called home
"Where I found peace from my delusions" is a very rough translation of Richard Wagner's neologism "Wahnfried" - "Wahn" meaning delusion and "Fried" peace. The itinerant composer finally found a permanent home only when he was approaching age 70. The bust in front is that of the visionary (or delusional?) King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who funded both Wagner's festival and his mansion.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
Wagner buried with his dog
For the first time, the garden has been restored to look like it did when Richard and Cosima Wagner gazed upon it. The couple is buried just behind it, along with Wagner's dog, Russ. This opulent back yard extends directly into the vast park of Bayreuth Palace.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
Everything in its place
It may look as though the Wagners had left on a trip - except for the cloth and clase casings. The furniture stands where the originals once did, most of them destroyed during an air raid in April 1945 during the final weeks of World War II. Originals from the Wagner residence that survived the ravages of time are protected behind glass.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
Old meets new
This part of the expanded facility is brand new. So as not to disturb the initial impression of the historic Wahnfried and the Siegfried Wagner House off to the left, it's tucked away off to the rear and is visible only after approaching the house. There are temporary exhibitions on the ground level, while underground rooms house the permanent exhibits and Wagner Archive.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
Up close
You don't need your opera glasses to appreciate these. The costumes are housed in the part of the museum that is underground and deals with Bayreuth Festival history after Richard Wagner's death in 1883.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
Coming to life
Pictures are an indispensible part of any historical exhibition. These, to go along with the original costumes, seem to float in space behind glass panes. Here we see an Isolde from a bygone era.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
The stage in miniature
With this miniature replica of Richard Wagner's festival theater, it's possible to peek inside and get an impression of the famous covered orchestra pit beneath the stage. In the original, the overall construction creates a blend of instrumental and vocal sound ideally suited to Wagner's music.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
It's about the music
After taking in the exhibits, visitors can restore their energy here - or deplete it, depending on their mood and the piece - and listen to a selection of over 500 recordings. While the ear is being stimulated, the eye rests on a Japanese garden outside the window.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
Fort Knox for R.W.
Richard Wagner's original scores and letters are stored behind high-security doors in the subterranean archive. The air conditioning there not only keeps the objects cool. Its special mix with reduced oxygen levels also protects against fire damage.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
Looking back at the Nazi era
The Siegfried Wagner House is next to Wahnfried. The multimedia exhibition there has nothing but floor-level information panels with texts and images. Meanwhile, recorded voices tell of the era of Winifred Wagner and the Third Reich.
Image: DW/R. Fulker
The sofa he died on
This exhibit has to be protected as well. In an earlier era, female Wagner devotees would kneel there, clutch it and sob. The "Master" passed away on this object while the Wagners were in Venice, and it was returned to Bayreuth along with his remains.
