Lauritz Melchior (1890-1973)
Lauritz Melchior set a standard that all heroic tenors are measured against. He performed in Bayreuth between 1924 and 1931. His golden years were 1935-39, often singing with Kirsten Flagstad.
Lauritz Lebrecht Hommel Melchior was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1890, and made his debut as Silvio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci in 1913 at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. He started singing baritone and bass roles, but restudied his voice between 1917 and 1918.
In fernem Land - Lauritz Melchior 1943
His debut as a tenor was on 8 October 1918 in the title role of Tannhäuser at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen
Melchior's first Siegmund he sang in 1924. This was to become one of his signature roles. His debut as Tristan came in 1929.
In the 1940's Melchior became a huge movie star.
Emmons, Shirley: Tristanissimo: The Authorized Biography of Heroic Tenor Lauritz Melchior
Lauritz Melchior in Bayreuth
1924: Parsifal, Siegmund
1925: Parsifal, Siegmund
1927: Siegfried (in Siegfried and Götterdämmerung)
1928: Siegfried (in Siegfried and Götterdämmerung)
1930 Tristan, Siegfried (in Siegfried and Götterdämmerung)
1931 Siegmund, Tristan, Tannhäuser
Lauritz Melchior's Wagner roles
Baker (bass role (!), Meistersinger)
Gralsritter (baritone, Parsifal)
Heinrich der Schriber (baritone, Tannhäuser)
Lohengrin (Lohengrin, 103 perf)
Parsifal (Parsifal, 81
perf)
Siegfried (Götterdämmerung, 107 perf.)
Siegfried (Siegfried, 128 perf., but never in Bayreuth)
Siegmund (Die
Walküre, 183 perf.)
Tannhäuser (Tannhäuser, Dresden version, 40 perf.)
Tannhäuser (Tannhäuser, Paris version, 104 perf.)
Tristan (Tristan
und Isolde, 223 perf.)
Tristanissimo: The Authorized Biography of Heroic Tenor Lauritz Melchior
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