Josef Metternich
Encyclopedia
Josef Metternich was a German
opera
tic baritone
.
Metternich was born in Hermühlheim, near Cologne, he studied in Cologne and Berlin, and sang with the Cologne and Bonn choruses, before making his solo debut in 1941 with the Berlin State Opera
in Lohengrin
, but his career was delayed by the war, it really took off in 1946, when he was able to return to the opera stage, and quickly established himself in both the German and Italian repertories.
Metternich also appeared at the Royal Opera House
in London, La Scala
in Milan, and made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera
in New York, in La forza del destino
, in 1953.
He joined the Munich State Opera in 1954, where he created the role of Johannes Kepler in Hindemith's Die Harmonie der Welt (1957).
Metternich was a powerful singer and charismatic performer. He retired in 1971 after performing for more than three decades.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
opera
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...
.
Metternich was born in Hermühlheim, near Cologne, he studied in Cologne and Berlin, and sang with the Cologne and Bonn choruses, before making his solo debut in 1941 with the Berlin State Opera
Berlin State Opera
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden is a German opera company. Its permanent home is the opera house on the Unter den Linden boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, which also hosts the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra.-Early years:...
in 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...
, but his career was delayed by the war, it really took off in 1946, when he was able to return to the opera stage, and quickly established himself in both the German and Italian repertories.
Metternich also appeared at the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
in London, La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
in Milan, and made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in New York, in La forza del destino
La forza del destino
La forza del destino is an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino , by Ángel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas, with a scene adapted from Friedrich Schiller's Wallensteins Lager. It was first performed...
, in 1953.
He joined the Munich State Opera in 1954, where he created the role of Johannes Kepler in Hindemith's Die Harmonie der Welt (1957).
Metternich was a powerful singer and charismatic performer. He retired in 1971 after performing for more than three decades.