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Hans Peter-Lehmann was a German director and artistic director who was born on December 15, 1934, in Kassel.
He was in charge of the creative direction of the Staatsoper Hannover for more than 20 years as its intendant from 1980 to 2001.
In his time there, he directed 31 productions, concentrating on 20th-century operas, including both newly commissioned works and overlooked pieces, and the stage works of Richard Wagner.
He worked in opera as well as as a professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover, where he helped shape the careers of aspiring musicians and actors.
Early Life and Career
Lehmann was the son of art historian and sculptor Kurt Lehmann. In 1955, he completed his Abitur at the Hanover Waldorfschule. He attended the Hochschule für Musik Detmold from 1955 to 1957 to study music, voice, flute, and pantomime.
From 1957 to 1958, he pursued additional studies in musicology, art history, and theatrical studies at the Free University of Berlin.
Lehmann started his work at the newly established Deutsche Oper Berlin as an assistant director to Carl Ebert and Gustav Rudolf Sellner after completing his studies.
To get experience directing operas, he also collaborated closely with Wieland and Wolfgang Wagner at the Bayreuth Festival from 1960 to 1973.
He was appointed opera director of the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden in 1976, a position he maintained until 1980
He staged 31 works as the opera director at the Staatsoper Hannover from 1980 to 2001, sometimes working alongside George Alexander Albrecht as Generalmusikdirektor.
His guest directing credits include Essen, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Basel, Milan, Paris, Venice, and Chicago in addition to Hanover.
Renate Behle, Rainer Trost, Johannes Martin Kränzle, and director Herbert Wernicke were among the artists whose international careers were sparked by Lehmann, who is renowned for having an excellent sense of talent.
He started the process of renovating the opera building to enhance its acoustics, which was one of his major accomplishments at Staatsoper Hannover.
His staging of Schoenberg’s Moses und Aron was part of the great reopening, which took place at the Theater am Aegi while the renovations were underway.
Even though audiences first opposed 20th-century opera, Lehmann was a fervent supporter of the genre. He helped Hannover’s opera scene push artistic boundaries and broaden its repertory by introducing several contemporary works, including world premieres and first performances.
What was Hans Peter-Lehmann’s Cause of Death?
Peter died on 5 February 2025, at the age of 60. The exact cause of his death is still unknown.
References
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Peter_Lehmann
https://www.classicalmusicdaily.com/articles/l/h/hans-peter-lehmann.htm
