GERMAN BARITONE RICHARD BREITENFELD (1869-1944) CDR

 

RICHARD BREITENFELD (REICHENBERG, AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE (NOW IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC), 13 OCTOBER, 1869 – GHETTO THERESIENSTADT, 16 DECEMBER, 1944)

 

He studied singing under Johannes Ress in Vienna and made his operatic debut in 1897 at the Opera House of Cologne as Count di Luna in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. During his time in Cologne, he participated in the 1902 premiere of Emanuel Moor’s opera Die Pompadour. After leaving Cologne in 1902, he joined the Opera House of Frankfurt am Main, where he performed for approximately 30 years.

He made guest appearances at prominent German opera houses and collaborated with the Wagner-Verein in Amsterdam. Notably, in 1905, he sang Amfortas in the Dutch premiere of Wagner’s Parsifal. He further distinguished himself in Amsterdam by creating the role of the Minstrel in the 1912 premiere of Humperdinck’s Königskinder. In 1913, he achieved great success as Wolfram in Tannhäuser and as Jochanaan in Richard Strauss’s Salome, performing alongside the celebrated soprano Aino Ackté.

In 1899, he made a guest appearance at the Vienna Court Opera as Tonio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. From 1901 to 1911, he was a regular performer not only at the Munich Court Opera but also in Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, and Wiesbaden. His performance as Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde at the Municipal Theatre of Zurich in 1917 was highly regarded.

In Frankfurt, he participated in several important premieres, including Hermann Wolfgang von Waltershausen’s Oberst Chabert (January 18, 1912, in the title role), Zemlinsky’s Das Spielwerk und die Prinzessin (March 15, 1913), and Rudi Stephan’s Die ersten Menschen (July 1, 1920, as Kajin). In 1927, he performed the title role in Verdi’s Rigoletto at Frankfurt, and his final appearance there was as Tonio in Pagliacci in 1932.

Tragically, his life ended in the Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II. His artistry and legacy, however, remain a testament to his contributions to the operatic world.

Chronology of some appearances

1897 Cologne Opera House Trovatore (Count di Luna)

1899 Vienna Court Opera Pagliacci (Tonio)

1902 Cologne Opera House Die Pompadour (-)

1905 Amsterdam Opera House Parsifal (Amfortas)

1912 Amsterdam Opera House Königskindern (-)

1913 Amsterdam Opera House Tannhäuser (Wolfram)

1913 Amsterdam Opera House Salome (Jochanaan)

1917 Zurich Municipal Theatre Tristan und Isolde (Kurwenal)

TRACKLIST

Odeon, Berlin 1911-03?

Trovatore (Verdi): Ihres Auges himmlisch’ Strahlen 99645 xB5119

Traviata (Verdi): Hat dein heimatliches Land 99646 xB5121

Gramophone, Berlin 1913-11-26

Don Carlos (Verdi): Schon seh’ ich den Tag 042440 1268s

Don Carlos (Verdi): Froh’ scheid’ ich aus diesen Leben 042441 1269s

Parsifal (Wagner): Wir geleiten ihn heut’ 042433 1270½s

Parsifal (Wagner): Tod! Sterben! 042434 1271s

Tannhäuser (Wagner): Wie Todesahnung 042448 1273s