Editing Bruno Walter (section)

=== Berlin, Leipzig, Vienna ===
Back in Europe, Walter made his debuts with both the [[Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra]] and the [[Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra]] in 1923, and was Music Director of the [[Deutsche Oper Berlin]] ''(Städtische Oper)'' from 1925 to 1929. He made his debut at [[La Scala]] in 1926, and was chief conductor of the German seasons at [[Royal Opera House, Covent Garden|Covent Garden]] in London from 1924 to 1931.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

Walter served as Principal Conductor of the [[Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra]] from 1929 until March 1933, when his tenure was cut short by the new Nazi government, as detailed below.

In speeches in the late 1920s, Nazi leader [[Adolf Hitler]] had complained bitterly about the presence of Jewish conductors at the Berlin opera, and mentioned Walter a number of times, adding to Walter's name the words "alias Schlesinger."<ref>{{harvp|Ross|2007|p=343}}</ref> When the Nazis took power, they undertook a systematic process of barring Jews from artistic life.<ref>{{harvp|Friedländer|1997|pp=9–14}}</ref>
[[File:Dr. Bruno Walter, 1937.jpg|thumb|Bruno Walter, 1937]]
As reported by biographers Erik Ryding and Rebecca Pechefsky, when Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933, Walter was conducting in New York, but the next month sailed back to Leipzig planning to conduct his previously scheduled concerts with the Gewandhaus Orchestra in March. However, Leipzig's Chief of Police informed management that he would cancel the concerts if Walter was to conduct them. Management resisted and Walter led rehearsals, but on the day that the first concert was to take place, the police, "in the name of the Saxon ministry of the interior," forbade the dress rehearsal and the concerts; Walter left Leipzig.<ref name="Ryding_220_221">{{harvp|Ryding|Pechefsky|2001|pp=220–221}}</ref> Walter was then scheduled to conduct the [[Berlin Philharmonic]] on March 20, but its management was warned by [[Joseph Goebbels]] that "unpleasant demonstrations" might occur at the concert, and the Propaganda Ministry clarified this by saying that there would be violence in the hall. Hearing of this, Walter chose to withdraw, saying to management, "Then I have no further business here."<ref name="Ryding_220_221"/> The concert in the end was conducted by [[Richard Strauss]].<ref>{{harvp|Ryding|Pechefsky|2001|pp=221–222}}</ref> Walter later wrote, "The composer of [[Ein Heldenleben]] ["A Hero's Life"] actually declared himself ready to conduct in place of a forcibly removed colleague."<ref>{{harvp|Ryding|Pechefsky|2001|p=224}}, quoting Walter's 1946 autobiography ''Theme and Variations''.</ref> A concert that Walter was scheduled to lead in Frankfurt was also cancelled.<ref name="Ryding_224">{{harvp|Ryding|Pechefsky|2001|p=224}}</ref> Walter left Germany and was not to conduct there again until after the war.<ref name="Ryding_224"/>

{{ external media | float = right|width=200px |audio1 = You may listen to Bruno Walter conducting the [[Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra]] in [[Johannes Brahms]]' ''Symphony No. 3 in F major Opus 90'' in 1936 [https://archive.org/details/BRAHMSSymphonyNo.3-NEWTRANSFER/01.I.AllegroConBrio.mp3 '''here on archive.org''']}}
Austria became his main center of activity for the next several years. He and his family moved to Vienna, where he regularly conducted the [[Vienna Philharmonic]]—with whom he made a number of momentous recordings during this period—and at the [[Salzburg Festival]]. In 1936 he accepted an offer to be Artistic Director of the [[Vienna State Opera]], where he occupied the same office that had once been Mahler's.<ref>{{harvp|Ryding|Pechefsky|2001|p=248}}</ref> He was also appointed Permanent Guest Conductor (''eerste dirigent'') of the [[Amsterdam]] [[Concertgebouw Orchestra]] from 1934 to 1939,<ref>Johan Giskes, "Anthology of the Royal Concertgebouw 1935–1950," p. 7, Radio Nederlands CD 97017</ref> and made guest appearances such as in annual concerts with the [[New York Philharmonic]] from 1932 to 1936. When Nazi Germany annexed Austria{{snd}}the ''[[Anschluss]]''{{snd}}in 1938, Walter was in the Netherlands conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra. His elder daughter Lotte was in [[Vienna]] at the time, and was arrested by the Nazis; Walter was able to use his influence to free her. He also used his influence to find safe quarters in [[Scandinavia]] for his brother and sister during the war.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

Walter's daughter Marguerite "Gretel" (born 1906) was murdered on August 21, 1939, by her husband [[Robert Neppach]], who then killed himself; his motive was jealousy over her growing relationship with the Italian bass singer [[Ezio Pinza]].<ref>{{harvp|Ryding|Pechefsky|2001|p=267}}</ref> Walter's wife Elsa, née Korneck (born in 1871) fell into a permanent depression and died in 1945, and Walter blamed himself for the tragedy, as his daughter had met Pinza only because Walter had made special efforts to hire him to sing the role of [[Don Giovanni]].{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}