Hans von Milde
Encyclopedia
Hans Feodor von Milde was an Austrian opera
tic baritone
and the husband of soprano
Rosa von Milde-Agthe. He sang for almost four decades at the opera house in Weimar
where he particularly excelled in the works of Richard Wagner
. For many years, Milde sang under the direction of Franz Liszt
, notably portraying the role of Telramund in the world premiere of Richard Wagner
's Lohengrin
under his baton. He sang in several other notable premieres, including singing the role of the High Priest in the first stage performance of Camille Saint-Saëns
's Samson et Dalila in 1877.
, the son of an administrator to Prince Gusztáv Batthyány. He initially planned to study law in Vienna
but ultimately ended up studying singing under Franz Hauser
and later under the younger Manuel García in Paris
. In 1845 he began his opera career at the Staatskapelle Weimar
where he remained as a member of the company for his entire career under a lifetime contract. He developed a friendship, both professionally and personally, with Franz Liszt
who led the opera performances there from 1848-1858. He notably sang Telramund in the world premiere of Richard Wagner
's Lohengrin
in 1850 under Liszt's baton. He sang several other Wagner roles with Liszt, including the title role in The Flying Dutchman
, Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
, and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde
.
In 1851 Milde married soprano Rosa Agthe, with whom he had shared the stage many times. They had two sons Franz von Milde (1855–1929) and Rudolf von Milde (1859–1927), both of whom became successful opera singers. In 1852 Milde portrayed Fieramosca in the premiere of Liszt's revised version of Hector Berlioz
’s Benvenuto Cellini
and his wife sang the role of Teresa. The couple also notably sang in the world premieres of Heinrich Dorn
's Die Nibelungen on 22 January 1954, Franz Schubert
's Alfonso und Estrella
on 24 June 1854, Peter Cornelius's Der Barbier von Bagdad
on 15 December 1858 and Cornelius's Der Cid in 1865. Hans also sang the High Priest in the first stage performance of Samson et Dalila, at Weimar (1877).
Both Hans and his wife retired from the opera stage in Weimer in 1884 and they both began working as singing teachers. Their son Franz published a biography about his parents (Ein ideales Künstlerehepaar, Rosa und Feodor von Milde. Ihre Kunst und ihre Zei) in 1918. Music historian Carlo Droste also wrote a book on the von Milde family (Die Familie von Milde) which was published in 1907.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
and the husband of soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Rosa von Milde-Agthe. He sang for almost four decades at the opera house in Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
where he particularly excelled in the works of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
. For many years, Milde sang under the direction of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, notably portraying the role of Telramund in the world premiere of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's Lohengrin
Lohengrin (opera)
Lohengrin is a romantic opera in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself...
under his baton. He sang in several other notable premieres, including singing the role of the High Priest in the first stage performance of Camille Saint-Saëns
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French Late-Romantic composer, organist, conductor, and pianist. He is known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, Piano Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1, Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and his Symphony...
's Samson et Dalila in 1877.
Biography
Milde was born in Petronell, near ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, the son of an administrator to Prince Gusztáv Batthyány. He initially planned to study law in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
but ultimately ended up studying singing under Franz Hauser
Franz Hauser
Franz Hauser was a singer, voice teacher, and music manuscript collector....
and later under the younger Manuel García in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1845 he began his opera career at the Staatskapelle Weimar
Staatskapelle Weimar
The Deutsche Nationaltheater and Staatskapelle Weimar is the most important musical and theatrical venue in Weimar in Germany. It is a twin institution, consisting of the theatrical Deutsches Nationaltheater and the symphony orchestra known as the Staatskapelle Weimar...
where he remained as a member of the company for his entire career under a lifetime contract. He developed a friendship, both professionally and personally, with Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
who led the opera performances there from 1848-1858. He notably sang Telramund in the world premiere of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's Lohengrin
Lohengrin (opera)
Lohengrin is a romantic opera in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself...
in 1850 under Liszt's baton. He sang several other Wagner roles with Liszt, including the title role in The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman
The legend of the Flying Dutchman concerns a ghost ship that can never make port, doomed to sail the oceans forever. It probably originates from 17th-century nautical folklore. The oldest extant version dates to the late 18th century....
, Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
, and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
.
In 1851 Milde married soprano Rosa Agthe, with whom he had shared the stage many times. They had two sons Franz von Milde (1855–1929) and Rudolf von Milde (1859–1927), both of whom became successful opera singers. In 1852 Milde portrayed Fieramosca in the premiere of Liszt's revised version of Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
’s Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini (opera)
Benvenuto Cellini is an opera in two acts with music by Hector Berlioz and libretto by Léon de Wailly and Henri Auguste Barbier. It was the first of Berlioz's operas. The story is loosely based on the memoirs of the Florentine sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. The opera is technically very challenging...
and his wife sang the role of Teresa. The couple also notably sang in the world premieres of Heinrich Dorn
Heinrich Dorn
Heinrich Ludwig Egmont Dorn was a German conductor, composer, and journalist. He was born in Königsberg , where he studied piano, singing, and composition. Later, he studied in Berlin with Ludwig Berger, Bernhard Klein, and Carl Friedrich Zelter. His first opera, Rolands Knappen, was produced in...
's Die Nibelungen on 22 January 1954, Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
's Alfonso und Estrella
Alfonso und Estrella
Alfonso und Estrella is an opera with music by Franz Schubert, set to a German libretto by Franz von Schober, written in 1822...
on 24 June 1854, Peter Cornelius's Der Barbier von Bagdad
Der Barbier von Bagdad
Der Barbier von Bagdad is a comic opera in two acts by Peter Cornelius to a German libretto by the composer, based on The Tale of the Tailor and The Barber’s Stories of his Six Brothers in A Thousand and One Nights...
on 15 December 1858 and Cornelius's Der Cid in 1865. Hans also sang the High Priest in the first stage performance of Samson et Dalila, at Weimar (1877).
Both Hans and his wife retired from the opera stage in Weimer in 1884 and they both began working as singing teachers. Their son Franz published a biography about his parents (Ein ideales Künstlerehepaar, Rosa und Feodor von Milde. Ihre Kunst und ihre Zei) in 1918. Music historian Carlo Droste also wrote a book on the von Milde family (Die Familie von Milde) which was published in 1907.