Heinz Zednik
The character tenor Heinz Zednik is one of the most remarkable Wagner interpreters that we have seen in Bayreuth. Although only doing minor roles, his strong scenic presence and interpretative skills contributed to the great success of the Centenary Ring staged by Patrice Chéreau (1976-80).
It was another great character tenor that recommended him for Bayreuth: Gerhard Stolze. Heinz Zednik did his first Bayreuth performances in 1970, as Ulrich Eisslinger (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) and 4. Knappe (Parsifal). The next year he sang Steuermann (Der fliegende Holländer), 2. Edler (Lohengrin) and 4. Knappe (Parsifal).
In 1972 he was asked to sing Mime in Das Rheingold and Siegfried.
Zednik owned the role as Mime in Siegfried from 1972 to 1980. With the Centenary Ring, he reached his peak as a Bayreuth star, making remarkable interpretations as Loge in Das Rheingold and Mime in Siegfried all the five years the Chéreau Ring was being played.
The Chéreau/Boulez Ring was first a great scandal, but became one of the greatest successes in the history of the Bayreuth Festival. At curtain fall of the last Götterdämmerung of this production, there was a 85 minutes long ovation.
Short biography
Heinz Zednik was born 1940 in Vienna. In 1964 he sang at the opera in Graz. After Graz he became a member of the soloist ensemble at the Vienna State Opera.
At the Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth he has sung Steuermann (Der fliegende Holländer), Ein Hirt (Tristan und Isolde), David (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Loge (Das Rheingold) and Mime (Siegfried). See all his Bayreuth productions here.
At the Salzburg Festival he has sung Valzacchi (Der Rosenkavalier), Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Monsieur Taupe (Capriccio), Bardolfo (Falstaff), Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte) etc. In 1964 Zednik made his debut at the Wiener Staatsoper in Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Augustin Moser).
He is Österreichischer Kammersänger and Honorary Member of Wiener Staatsoper.
One of Zednik's successors in Bayreuth as Loge and Mime was the British character tenor Graham Clark. Read an interview with Graham Clark here.
Heinz Zednik's Wagner on CD and DVD
DVD
- Der Ring des Nibelungen (Chéreau/Boulez): Das Rheingold (Loge), Siegfried (Mime)
- Der Ring des Nibelungen (Schenk/Levine): Das Rheingold (Mime), Siegfried (Mime) .
CD
- Der Ring des Nibelungen (Chéreau/Boulez): Das Rheingold (Loge), Siegfried (Mime)
- Der Ring des Nibelungen (Chéreau/Boulez): Das Rheingold (Mime), Siegfried (Mime)
- Tristan und Isolde (Leonard Bernstein): Ein Hirt
Heinz Zednik in Bayreuth
1970
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Ulrich Eisslinger)
Parsifal (4. Knappe)
1971
Parsifal (4. Knappe)
Lohengrin (2. Edler)
Der fliegende Holländer (Steuermann)
1972
Das Rheingold (Mime)
Siegfried (Mime)
Parsifal (4. Knappe)
Lohengrin (2. Edler)
1973
Das Rheingold (Mime)
Siegfried (Mime)
Parsifal (4. Knappe)
1974
Das Rheingold (Mime)
Siegfried (Mime)
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (David)
Tristan und Isolde (Hirte + Junger Seemann)
1975
Das Rheingold (Mime)
Siegfried (Mime)
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (David)
Tristan und Isolde (Hirte + Junger Seemann)
1976
Das Rheingold (Loge)
Siegfried (Mime)
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Augustin Moser – 3. Act celebration performance)
Parsifal (3. Knappe)
Tristan und Isolde (Hirte + Junger Seemann)
1977
Das Rheingold (Loge)
Siegfried (Mime)
1978
Das Rheingold (Loge)
Siegfried (Mime)
1979
Das Rheingold (Loge)
Siegfried (Mime)
1980
Das Rheingold (Loge)
Siegfried (Mime)
Sources:
Wolfgang Wagner: Lebens-Akte
Wagners Werk und Wirkung: Festspielnachrichten Beiträge
1957-1982
Heinz Zednik: Mein Opernleben
Selected Biographies
