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TORSTEN RALF (MALMÖ, SWEDEN, JANUARY 2, 1901 – STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, APRIL 27, 1954)
Both his older brothers, Oscar Ralf (1881–1964) and Einar Ralf (1888–1971), also became renowned opera singers. Before pursuing his singing career, he worked as a telegraph officer for ten years. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire in Stockholm under Hjaldis Ingebjart and John Forsell, and later in Berlin with Hertha Dehmlow.
He made his operatic debut in 1930 at the Stadttheater in Stettin as Cavaradossi in Tosca. Following this, he performed at the opera houses of Chemnitz (1931–1933) and Frankfurt am Main (1933–1935), before joining the Staatsoper in Dresden in 1935, where he enjoyed significant success until 1943.
At the Dresden Staatsoper, he participated in several world premieres, including:
Robert Heger’s Der verlorene Sohn (March 31, 1936)
Othmar Schoeck’s Massimilla Doni (March 2, 1937)
Richard Mohaupt’s Die Wirtin von Pinsk (February 10, 1938)
Heinrich Sutermeister’s Die Zauberinsel (October 31, 1942)
Notably, he performed as Apollo in the premiere of Richard Strauss’s Daphne (October 15, 1938) alongside Margarete Teschemacher.
A celebrated heldentenor, he frequently appeared at the Staatsoper houses of Vienna and Munich. Between 1935 and 1939, he performed at London’s Covent Garden. Highlights included singing Lohengrin during the 1935 festival marking King George V’s jubilee, and in 1936, performing Bacchus in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos with the Dresden Staatsoper ensemble.
In 1941, he joined the Royal Opera in Stockholm. He was honored with the Litteris et Artibus award in 1945 and was appointed Swedish Court Singer in 1952. Between 1945 and 1948, he was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York, debuting as Lohengrin in 1945. At the Met, he also performed as Radames in Aida and Otello in Verdi’s Otello. During the 1945–1946 season, he toured South America, performing at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
In 1948, he returned to Covent Garden as Radames in Aida. From 1950 to 1952, he performed regularly at the Vienna Staatsoper, where his roles included Florestan in Fidelio, Walther von Stolzing, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser, and Otello. His final appearance there was in 1953.
He retired from the stage and concert performances in 1954, settling back in his native Sweden.
Chronology of some appearances
Tannhäuser 12/18/1945, Otello 3/19/1946, Walter von Stolzing 3/26/1946, (Filadelfia) Parsifal 4/16/1946, Tristan 3/4/1947, Walter von Stolzing 11/25/1947 (Filadelfia).
TRACKLIST
Daphne (R Strauß) Götter! Brüder im hohen Olympos! DB 4628 2RA3519-2 HMV, Dresden 1939-01?
Fanciulla del West (Puccini) Lasset sie glauben DB 5620 2RA4814 HMV, Dresden 1941-01?
Lohengrin (Wagner): In fernem Land 71828-D xCo36029 Columbia, New York 1946-03-28
Lohengrin (Wagner) Abschied 71827-D Columbia, New York 1946-03-28
Lohengrin (Wagner) Das süße Lied verhallt (w. Lemnitz) DB 4667 2RA3842 HMV, Berlin 1939-03
Lohengrin (Wagner) Doch ich zuvor… Atmest du nicht (w. Lemnitz) DB 4667 2RA3843 HMV, Berlin 1939-03
Otello (Verdi) Bei des Himmels ehernem Dache (w. Herrmann) DB 5620 2RA4815 HMV, Dresden 1941-01?
Otello (Verdi) Gott, warum hast du gehäuft dieses Elend DB 5630 2RA4870 HMV, Berlin 1941-07?
Otello (Verdi) Jeder Knabe DA 4493 2RA4869 HMV, Berlin 1941-07?
Otello (Verdi) Nun in der nächt’gen Stille (w. Lemnitz) DB 4668 2RA3840 HMV, Berlin 1939-03
Otello (Verdi) Da brannt’ im dunkeln Antlitz dir ein Feuer (w. Lemnitz) DB 4668 2RA3841 HMV, Berlin 1939-03
Parsifal (Wagner) Wie dünkt mich doch Karfreitagszauber with Ludwig Weber Columbia LVX166
Tiefland (d’Albert) Traumerzählung DB 5697 2RA5427 HMV, Berlin 1942-01?
Tiefland (d’Albert) Wolfserzählung DB 5697 2RA5428 HMV, Berlin 1942-01?
Walküre (Wagner) Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond DA 4493 0RA4867 HMV, Berlin 1941-07?
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