His real name was Helge
Anton Rosenvinge Hansen. First he wanted to become a chemist and studied at the
technical college of Copenhagen. His voice was discovered when he sang in a
circle of friends in Schwerin. His later wife, Hungarian soprano Ilonka
Holndonner, exerted
herself for the education of his voice and gave together with him in Schwerin a
concert. He received his vocal education in Copenhagen and Berlin. After his concert
appearances in Denmark, he made his stage debut in 1921 at the Landestheater in
Neustrelitz as José in ‘’Carmen’’. He guested in London, Milan, Copenhagen,
Stockholm, Brussels, Amsterdam, Munich,
Hamburg and Dresden and with special success in 1933 in Cairo (as Radames in ‘’Aida’’).
Since 1932 he appeared almost annually at
the Salzburg Festival. At the Bayreuth Festival he appeared in 1934 and 1936 as
Parsifal. He also sang with success in operettas and sang among other things on
31. 12. 1935 at the Berlin Staatsoper in the premiere of E. Künnecke’s operetta
"Die große Sünderin". In 1941 he made guest appearance at the Paris
Grand Opéra as Belmonte in "Entführung aus dem Serail". Since 1955 he appeared again at the Berlin Staatsoper, whose honorary member he was appointed. In 1963 and 1964 with great
success he sang at the Carnegie Hall and in Madison Square Garden in New York.
Later he devoted himself to teaching in Munich. His autobiography appeared
under the title ‘’Skratte Pajazzo’’ (Copenhagen, 1945; in German as ‘’Lache
Bajazzo’’, Berlin, 1963).
Chronology of some
appearances
1921 Neustrelitz Landestheater
1922-1924 Altenburg
and Thüringen Landestheater
1924-1926 Basel Stadttheater
1926-1929 Köln Opernhaus
1927 Wien Staatsoper
1929-1945 Berliner
Staatsoper
1930 Wien Staatsoper
1932-1933 Salzburg Festival
1934 Bayreuth Festival
1936 Bayreuth Festival
1937 Salzburg Festival
1938 Salzburg Festival
1939 Salzburg Festival
1941 Paris Grand
Opéra
1949 Salzburg Festival
1949 Wien Staatsoper
1949 Wien Staatsoper
1955 Berlin Staatsoper
RECORDINGS FOR SALE
HMV, Berlin 1942
Lohengrin (Wagner): In fernem Land DB5698 2RA5326
Lohengrin (Wagner): Mein lieber Schwan DB5698 2RA5327
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