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Lauritz Melchior was unquestionably the greatest heroic tenor of his time. Born in Copenhagen in 1890 ("I was a Copenhagen lad," he announced at every interview, drawing from this simple phrase not only his origins but the key to his character), Melchior's career as reigning Heldentenor at the Metropolitan Opera spanned the years from 1926 through 1950. Critically acclaimed for his performances in Richard Wagner's Lohengrin, Parsifal, Siegfried, Tannhäuser, Götterdämmerung, and Tristan und Isolde (his interpretation of Tristan prompted the great conductor Arturo Toscanini's sobriquet, "Tristanissimo"— "most Tristan of Tristans"), as well as Giuseppe Verdi's Otetto and Aida, Melchior may well prove to be the greatest Heldentenor of all time. His mastery of this taxing repertoire prompted music critic George Jellinek to proclaim that "Melchior will never be equaled, let alone surpassed."
For many, Melchior's unique gift was tied to his vocal talents; his voice represented the rare...
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Fülszöveg
Lauritz Melchior was unquestionably the greatest heroic tenor of his time. Born in Copenhagen in 1890 ("I was a Copenhagen lad," he announced at every interview, drawing from this simple phrase not only his origins but the key to his character), Melchior's career as reigning Heldentenor at the Metropolitan Opera spanned the years from 1926 through 1950. Critically acclaimed for his performances in Richard Wagner's Lohengrin, Parsifal, Siegfried, Tannhäuser, Götterdämmerung, and Tristan und Isolde (his interpretation of Tristan prompted the great conductor Arturo Toscanini's sobriquet, "Tristanissimo"— "most Tristan of Tristans"), as well as Giuseppe Verdi's Otetto and Aida, Melchior may well prove to be the greatest Heldentenor of all time. His mastery of this taxing repertoire prompted music critic George Jellinek to proclaim that "Melchior will never be equaled, let alone surpassed."
For many, Melchior's unique gift was tied to his vocal talents; his voice represented the rare combination of unsurpassed power and beautiful lyricism. His vocal stamina was legendary, a voice of steely power and clarion ring that cut through the huge Wagnerian orchestra. For others, Melchior's idiomatic use of the German language gave to his performances a dramatic intensity and artistic sensitivity unequaled during the 40 years since his retirement from the Met.
Melchior began his singing career as a baritone with the Danish Royal Opera, making a highly successful metamorphosis into heroic tenor. Summoned to Bayreuth to audition before Richard Wagner's widow Cosima and son Siegfried, Melchior perfected his roles according to the Bayreuth tradition. He soon became an international star, appearing not only at Bayreuth but at London's Covent Garden and Berlin's Staatsoper. His performances of the Ring and Tristan und Isolde at the Met during the 1930s and 1940s—joined by such legendary artists as Kirsten Flagstad, Lotte Lehmann, Helen Träubel, Frida Leider, Marjorie Lawrence, Kerstin Thorborg, and Friedrich Schorr—constituted nothing less than a Wagnerian "Golden Age."
In this major réévaluation of Melchior's life and artistry, Shirlee Emmons examines not only his singing career but his private life and often larger-than-life personality. At the height of his fame as an operatic singer, Melchior embarked on a new (although not unprecedented) career: appearing on such popular radio programs as the Fred Allen show (in which the 250-pound tenor parodied Frank Sinatra, of all people) and in movies, Melchior became a household name. His success in broadening public awareness of operatic performance was tempered, however, by widespread criticism of his commercialization of the
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Emmons has enjoyed unrestricted access to all of Melchior's unpublished papers and has interviewed dozens of his friends and colleagues. Tristanissimo also features over 70 photographs (from Melchior's own scrapbooks), a complete list of his operatic roles, and a discography by Danish radio program director Hans Hansen.
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About the Author
Shirlee Emmons was educated at Lawrence University, later studying with the legendary soprano Elisabeth Schumann at the Curtis Institute. She was featured in the first "Lauritz Melchior Show," has sung leading roles with the Santa Fe Opera and the NBC Opera, and has recorded for RCA Victor. She received an Obie for her portrayal of Susan B. Anthony in Virgil Thomson's Mother of Us All. During her 20-year teaching career, she has taught at Columbia, Princeton, Rutgers, and Boston Universities, and her private studio in New York City has produced singers now on the rosters of the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and numerous European opera companies.
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