Schöneweiss, Wilhelm Patsche and Otto Köhler sang, among others. Always intent on constantly expanding his repertoire, Krasselt brought all the essential elements to the repertoire, whereby the systematic cultivation of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's complete works brought the Hanover Opera House sensational success. When a smear campaign was launched against the concertmaster Max Ladscheck (1889-1970) for alleged anti-National Socialist statements, Krasselt vehemently stood up for him and made himself unpopular with the National Socialists forever. Although he was held in high esteem both at home and abroad, he was sent into retirement in July 1943, although shortly before that he had held the first German-French co-production at the Opéra Garnier of Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung. After Krasselt had said goodbye to Wagner's Die Walküre in Hanover - showered with ovations lasting for hours - the "fire magic" became a symbol: only a few days later the Hanover Opera House sank into rubble and ashes in a bombing raid. Krasselt's successors in office, the convinced National Socialist Gustav Rudolf Sellner and his General Music Director Mathieu Lange, stood before the smoking ruins of the once so proud opera house with its much praised acoustics when he took office. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, Sellner and Lange voluntarily resigned from their contracts. Krasselt was immediately rehabilitated and was available to the Hanover Opera House as a guest until 1951. He died in Andernach aged 75. Literature Hannoversche Zeitung. 12 July 1943, Das Niedersächsische Staatsorchester Hannover 1636–1986. Schlütersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1986, . Le philarmonique de Vienne Heiko Bockstiegel: Meine Herren, kennen Sie das Stück? Erinnerungen an deutschsprachige Dirigenten des 20. Jahrhunderts und ihr Wirken im Opern- und Konzertleben Deutschlands. Wolfratshausen, Grimm 1996, , . Claus Harms: Maßstäbe für Hannovers Oper. HAZ vom 30./31. December 1979 Klaus Mlynek, Waldemar R. Röhrbein, Dieter Brosius: . Vol 2. Schlütersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Hannover 1994, (). References External links Krasselt, Rudolf on BMLO Eintrag in der Personendatenbank der Landesbibliographie Baden-Württemberg German classical cellists German conductors (music) 1879 births 1954 deaths People from Baden-Baden