He was one of the best opera singers of his
time. He studied singing under Adolf Robinson in Brünn. He made his debut as
baritone in 1896 at the Municipal Theatre of Brünn as Telramund in ‘’Lohengrin’’.
Then till 1897 he was active at the Municipal Theatre of Olmütz and in 1898 he
was engaged by the Berlin Court Opera. Here he sang among other things on 18. 4.
1899 in the premiere of the opera ‘’Mudarra’’ of Fernand Le Borne, on 10. 4. 1900
in Ferdinand Hummel's opera ‘’ Die
Beichte’’, on 13. 12. 1904 in the premiere of Leoncavallo’s opera
‘’Der Roland von Berlin’’;
on 14. 4. 1905 in the Berlin
premiere of E.Humperdinck’s ‘’Die
Heirat wider Willen’’. In 1901, 1906 and 1908 he appeared at Bayreuth Festival in ‘’Parsifal’’
and ‘’Götterdämmerung’’.
In 1908 he retired for a year and studied under Oscar Sänger, reappearing as a
tenor in ‘’Lohengrin’’ at a performance in Berlin in 1909. In 1913 he married the
American soprano Marie Rappold (1879-1957). After guest performances,
primarily, in Wagner's operas in Paris, London, Prague and Amsterdam as well as
at the Vienna Court Opera, in 1913 he was engaged to sing at the Metropolitan Opera
in New York (debuted in 1914 as Siegmund
in ‘’Walküre’’). In his two seasons, he sang 24 performances of 8 roles,
including Siegfried, Lohengrin, Walther, Parsifal, Tristan, and Tannhäuser. His
only non-Wagnerian role was Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. However, his career
total number of roles was 96 as a baritone and 18 as a tenor. He suddenly died,
at the height of his career, only 41 years old.
Chronology of some appearances
1896 Brünn Municipal Theatre Lohengrin ( Telramund)
1897 Olmütz Municipal Theatre
1898-1899 Berlin Court Opera
1901 Bayreuth Festival
1904-1905 Berlin Court Opera
1906 Bayreuth Festival
1908 Bayreuth Festival
1909 Berlin Court Opera as Tenor Lohengrin (Lohengrin)
1914 New York Metropolitan Opera
RECORDINGS FOR SALE
Lohengrin
(Wagner): Telramunds Anklage (Dank Konig, dir) 40120
Wildschütz (Lortzing): Heiterkeit
und Fröhlichkeit 40124
G&T, Berlin
Carmen (Bizet): Euren Toast
(Torerolied) 2-42837 2168h
Tannhauser (Wagner): O du mein
holder Abendstern 042071 266i
Edison 2-min cylinders, Berlin
Tannhäuser
(Wagner): Lied an den Abendstern 15164 15164
Odeon, Berlin 1906-03?
Don Giovanni (Mozart): Reich mir die Hand with Dietrich 34572 xB1079
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Im Jammer und Tränen with Dietrich 34573 xB1080
Lohengrin
(Wagner): Telramunds Anklage (Dank Konig, dir) 50250 xB2159
Africaine
(Meyerbeer) Wie hat mein Herz geschlagen 50502
Africaine
(Meyerbeer): Hei! Adamastor, der König der wellen 50492 xB3716
Lohengrin
(Wagner): Höchstes Vertrauen 80043 xxB4681
Lohengrin
(Wagner): Das süße Lied verhallt with Destinn 80041 xxB4683
Lohengrin
(Wagner) Wie hehr erkenn' ich uns'rer Liebe Wesen with Destinn 50649 xB4684
Lohengrin
(Wagner) Ach könnt' ich deiner Wert erscheinen with Destinn 50650 xB4685
Lohengrin (Wagner): Ach, dich an mich
Odeon, Berlin 1911-06
Zauberflöte (Mozart): Bildnisarie 50730 xB5175
Lohengrin (Wagner): Atmest du nicht 50651
xB4740
Lohengrin
(Wagner): Nun sei bedankt 50691 xB4819
Prophete (Meyerbeer): Auf! Seht, der Becher
winket 50692 xB4820
Otello (Verdi): Nun fahr hin, süßes
Gedenken 50736 xB5493
Otello (Verdi): Othellos Tod 80071
xxB5494
Otello
(Verdi): Gott, warum hast du gehäuft dieses Elend 50737 xB5495
Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme
wichen dem Wonnemond 98029 xB5855
Walküre
(Wagner): Siegmund heiß' ich 98030
xB5859
Meistersinger
von Nurnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend 50738 xB5856
Meistersinger
von Nurnberg (Wagner): Fanget an! 50739 xB5857
Gramophone, Berlin
Parsifal
(Wagner): Auf Ewigkeit wär'st du verdämmt 044261 1312s
Parsifal (Wagner): Nie sollst du ihn finden! with Denera and Habich 044262 1313s
Parsifal (Wagner): Nie sollst du ihn finden! with Denera and Habich 044262 1313s
Beautiful photos ! Thank you very much :)
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