Hans Lange

Hans Lange (February 17, 1884 in Istanbul – August 13, 1960 in Albuquerque, New Mexico) was a German-American conductor and musician. He was a son of Paul Lange, who had been a lecturer for music at the American College for Girls and German High School Istanbul in the 1890s, and later was appointed the Sultan's director of music. Hans Lange himself was an alumnus of German High School Istanbul.

Lange was educated in Prague and other European cities. After assignments in several German cities, one being in Bielefeld, he entered the United States in 1925 with a German orchestra to give concerts. The orchestra was dissolved during the tour, and Lange had to restart his career.

Lange joined the New York Philharmonic Orchestra as a violinist in 1927, but began soon to conduct as well. He became assistant to Arturo Toscanini, and rehearsed almost all his performances. At that time, he also worked on his own as a conductor: besides numerous assignments as conductor of the New York Philharmonic in concerts at Carnegie Hall until 1936, he recorded a concert of Wagner excerpts with the famous soprano Kirsten Flagstad for HMV Records.

In 1936–1946 he worked as Associate Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As he had not taken up US citizenship during the war, his contract with CSO was not extended after 1946. On May 12, 1940, he recorded with the CSO and the Polish American piano virtuoso Jozef Hofmann Beethovens Piano Concert No. 5 ("Emperor"). The recording (35 minutes) has been published in CSO's own historic series and in Jozef Hofmann anthologies. In the same year Lange conducted the CSO during its legendary concert with U.S. piano legend Liberace at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee.

In 1946-1949 Lange worked in Toledo, Ohio, with the local Friends of Music Orchestra (later Toledo Symphony Orchestra). On April 13, 1947, he was invited again by his former boss Toscanini to New York to perform as guest conductor at the NBC Symphony Orchestra.

In 1950, Lange started to work with the Albuquerque Civic Symphony, less than two years after his predecessor Kurt Frederick had managed to bring the world premiere of Schoenberg's "A Survivor from Warsaw" to Albuquerque in November 1948. Lange transformed the ACS from an amateur ensemble into what is today known as New Mexico Symphony Orchestra (NMSO) and one of the leading professional orchestras in the United States.

He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.

During his tenure in Chicago, Lange was one of the teachers and mentors of composer Leon Stein.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 17, 1884 (Istanbul), Died August 13, 1960 (Albuquerque)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1936

Roles Represented in DAHR: director

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor CS-94660 12-in. 2/8/1936 Lohengrin : Prelude to Act 3 New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-94661 12-in. 2/8/1936 Lohengrin New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-94662 12-in. 2/8/1936 Lohengrin New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-95354 12-in. 10/9/1935 Dich teure Halle Kirsten Flagstad ; Hans Lange Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Victor CS-95355 12-in. 10/9/1935 Isoldes Liebestod Kirsten Flagstad ; Hans Lange Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Victor CS-95356 12-in. 10/9/1935 Isoldes Liebestod Kirsten Flagstad ; Hans Lange Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Victor BS-95357 10-in. 10/9/1935 Ho-yo-to-ho Kirsten Flagstad ; Hans Lange Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Victor CS-95358 12-in. 10/9/1935 Elsas Traum Kirsten Flagstad ; Hans Lange Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Victor CS-95359 12-in. 10/9/1935 Elizabeths Gebet Kirsten Flagstad ; Hans Lange Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Victor CS-95360 12-in. 10/9/1935 Elizabeths Gebet Kirsten Flagstad ; Hans Lange Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Victor BS-95361 10-in. 10/9/1935 Allerseelen Kirsten Flagstad ; Hans Lange ; Edwin McArthur Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Victor CS-101200 12-in. 4/9/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-101201 12-in. 4/9/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-101202 12-in. 4/9/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-101203 12-in. 4/9/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-101204 12-in. 4/9/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-101205 12-in. 4/9/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-101206 12-in. 4/9/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-101207 12-in. 4/9/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-101208 12-in. 4/10/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  
Victor CS-101209 12-in. 4/10/1936 Symphony no. 7 in A major New York Philharmonic ; Arturo Toscanini Orchestra director  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lange, Hans," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106240.

Lange, Hans. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106240.

"Lange, Hans." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106240

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