Opera Singer. Born in Kusel in the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, as a young man he worked in a bakery and, at the insistence of neighbors and passers-by who heard him sing, he decided to begin studies in music. He managed to obtain a scholarship in order to pursue his studies at the Freiburg College of Music where he studied horn and voice. He was soon noted as a brilliant vocalist, especially in Mozartian roles, but later expanded his repertoire to include much of the full range of works for lyric tenor. As was the fashion of the time, most of his recordings of the standard operatic repertoire are sung in German, including Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto" and "Don Carlo". He achieved the highest distinction within the German repertory. Of special importance are his recordings of Wolfgang Mozart's "The Magic Flute" under Karl Böhm in which he sings the part of Tamino, and of Joseph Haydn's "The Creation" under Herbert von Karajan. His crystal-clear voice and intelligent, restrained interpretation also led him to impressive renditions of the Lieder cycles of Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann, notably his collaborations with pianist Hubert Giesen. Aficionados consider his recording of Schumann's song cycle "Dichterliebe", the golden standard of this genre, and many tenors have since emulated his interpretation. His career was cut short by an accident in which he fell from a stairway onto the stone floor below in a friend's country house in Oberderdingen near Maulbronn. He died in the University Clinic of Heidelberg just days before his 36th birthday. In the BBC Music Magazine of April 2008, he was voted the fourth greatest tenor of all time.
Opera Singer. Born in Kusel in the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, as a young man he worked in a bakery and, at the insistence of neighbors and passers-by who heard him sing, he decided to begin studies in music. He managed to obtain a scholarship in order to pursue his studies at the Freiburg College of Music where he studied horn and voice. He was soon noted as a brilliant vocalist, especially in Mozartian roles, but later expanded his repertoire to include much of the full range of works for lyric tenor. As was the fashion of the time, most of his recordings of the standard operatic repertoire are sung in German, including Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto" and "Don Carlo". He achieved the highest distinction within the German repertory. Of special importance are his recordings of Wolfgang Mozart's "The Magic Flute" under Karl Böhm in which he sings the part of Tamino, and of Joseph Haydn's "The Creation" under Herbert von Karajan. His crystal-clear voice and intelligent, restrained interpretation also led him to impressive renditions of the Lieder cycles of Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann, notably his collaborations with pianist Hubert Giesen. Aficionados consider his recording of Schumann's song cycle "Dichterliebe", the golden standard of this genre, and many tenors have since emulated his interpretation. His career was cut short by an accident in which he fell from a stairway onto the stone floor below in a friend's country house in Oberderdingen near Maulbronn. He died in the University Clinic of Heidelberg just days before his 36th birthday. In the BBC Music Magazine of April 2008, he was voted the fourth greatest tenor of all time.
Bio by: Geoffrey D. Decker
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