Desider Zádor (Baritone) (Horna Krupa, Hungary 8/3 1873 – Berlin, Germany 24/4 1931)

Berlin Staats-Theater Lohengrin (1921)

First he became a teacher. He studied singing under Adele Passy-Cornet in Budapest, then went for the further studies to Vienna. He made his debut in 1898 at the Stadttheater of Czernowitz (Tschernowzy) as Count in "Figaros Hochzeit". In the 1898-1901 seasons he sang at the Stadttheater in Elberfeld, from 1901 to 1906 at the Deutschen in Prague (among other things in 1903 in the premiere of Cesare Rossi’s opera "Nadeya"). Then he made guest appearances at the Hofoper in Dresden and Munich. In the 1906-1908 seasons and in 1910 he had a huge success at the Covent Garden in London,  in 1906 and 1909 at the Stadttheater of Zurich. Famous he became notable by his magnificent interpretation of the Alberich in R. Wagner’s ‘’Ring-Zyklus’’. In the 1906-1911 seasons he had a successful career at the Berlin Komischen Oper; here on 21. 2. 1907 he sang the part of the black violinist in the premiere of the opera "Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe" by F. Delius. He appeared there also in the Berlin première of R. Leoncavallo’s ‘’Zazà’’ (1908) and had a special success as father in ‘’Louise’’ of G. Charpentier. In 1910 he appeared during the Beethoven Fest in the Hague as Pizarro in ‘’Fidelio’’. In the 1911-1916 seasons he sang at the Hofoper in Dresden (among other things in 1913 in the premiere of "Coeur As" by E. Künneke), in the 1916-1919 seasons he was active as singer and conductor at the National Opera in Budapest. In the 1920-1924 seasons he was engaged by the Staatsoper in Berlin and also guested again at the London Covent Garden. In the 1922-1924 seasons he made guest appearances in North America with the German Opera Company. In 1923 at the Great Northern Theatre in Chicago he participated in the American première of the opera "Der Evangelimann" of W. Kienzl, which was repeated in 1924 in New York. Since 1924 up to his death he was a member of the Städtischen Oper in Berlin, where he appeared mostly as comprimario and sang also the parts of bass. Married the contralto Emma Zador-Basst . 

Chronology of some appearances

1898 Czernowitz Stadttheater
1898-1901 Elberfeld Stadttheater
1901-1906 Prague  Deutschen
1906 Zurich Stadttheater
1906 Berlin Komischen Oper
1906-1908 London Covent Garden
1909 Zurich Stadttheater
1910 London Covent Garden
1910 The Hague Opera
1911-1916 Dresden  Hofoper  
1916-1919 Budapest National Opera
1920-1924 Berlin Staatsoper 
1922-1924 North America Tour
1923 Chicago Great Northern Theatre
1924-1931 Berlin  Städtischen Oper

RECORDINGS FOR SALE 
 

G&T, Praha 1903? (late)
Rheingold (Wagner): Fluch 2-42823 1920x

Gramophone, Berlin 1908
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Den Tag seh' ich erscheinen 4-42120 6841L
Tannhäuser (Wagner): O Himmel, lass' dich jetzt erflehen 4-42121 6842L
Faust (Gounod): 8) Da ich n un verlassen soll (Valentins Gebet) 4-42077 12274u
Faust (Gounod): 28) Valentins Tod, pt 2 042164 0782v

Gramophone, Berlin 1909-03-29
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Jerum, jerum (Schusterlied) 4-42212 844ab
Rheingold (Wagner): Bin ich nun frei (Alberichs Fluch) 4-42213 845ab

Gramophone, Berlin 1909-05-12
Der Kuss (Beethoven) 4-42238 1027ab
Margreth am Tore (Jensen) 4-42239 1029ab

Gramophone, Berlin 1911-06-13
Huguenots (Meyerbeer): Arie des St Bris (w. Ensemble) 042299 2232c
Africaine (Meyerbeer): Wie hat mein Herz geschlagen 042300 2233c

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