Raimund Herincx
Encyclopedia
Raimund Frederick Herincx (born 23 August 1927 in London
)
is a British opera
tic bass baritone. Throughout a varied international career, Herincx performed in most of the world's great opera houses and with many of the world's leading symphony orchestras, having been in demand in international opera and in the choral and orchestral field. He is also featured in many recordings, some of which are creator's recordings and others, first recordings.
and Sadler's Wells Opera companies - singing in over 400 performances and 40 major roles with the latter.
A parallel international career developed as he was engaged for guest appearances in the opera houses of Paris, Brussels, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Concert appearances in Rome, Madrid, Athens, Lisbon and Stockholm were also part of his itinerary.
His BBC Promenade Concert debut was in 1961 and, as a result, he took the English language concert repertoire into many European concert halls including the premieres of works by Walton
, Tippett
, Vaughan Williams, Elgar and Britten.
His debut at the Royal Opera House
was in 1968. He then appeared in many roles in Italian, English, German, Russian and French for that company and starred in three world premieres including The Knot Garden (Faber) by Michael Tippett
on December 2, 1970 conducted by Sir Colin Davis and produced by Sir Peter Hall.
Meanwhile, appearances for the English National Opera included many major roles, notably as Wotan in Wagner's Ring Cycle. This role also brought him personal success in Europe and North and South America.
From 1976, when he joined the Metropolitan Opera
of New York, much of his career was in the USA and was Wagner oriented. He subsequently appeared in most of the major cities for the leading American opera companies.
Both in Britain and America he is well known as a voice teacher and therapist and devotes some of his time to cancer research, guiding and helping patients with voice and throat problems.
In the UK, he has taught at the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity College of Music, and the Universities of Cardiff and Aberdeen; whilst in the USA he has taught at the Universities of Washington and California (UCLA) and lectured for the Yale Club
and the Juilliard School
. He continues to teach regularly at the North East of Scotland Music School
in Aberdeen.
In the sphere of international music competitions he became well known as an adjudicator and examiner, having appeared regularly as a jury member for competitions such as the BBC Young Musician of the Year
and the Mary Garden award. In this capacity he is frequently invited overseas as the British representative on international juries.
His command of languages has sustained regular engagements to give Master Classes in Europe, America and the UK.
More recently he has become much in demand as a lecturer, speaker and translator and is also frequently engaged as a musical journalist and critic.
His numerous recordings include Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex
, Tippett's Midsummer Marriage
and The Knot Garden
, Handel's Messiah
, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas
, Tavener's The Whale, Delius' Koanga
plus Vaughan Williams' Pilgrim's Progress
and Sir John in Love
In 1991 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Aberdeen. He now lives in Bath and is married to Astra Blair
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
)
is a British 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 bass baritone. Throughout a varied international career, Herincx performed in most of the world's great opera houses and with many of the world's leading symphony orchestras, having been in demand in international opera and in the choral and orchestral field. He is also featured in many recordings, some of which are creator's recordings and others, first recordings.
Career
During the first ten years of his career he sang, as principal baritone, with both the Welsh National OperaWelsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
and Sadler's Wells Opera companies - singing in over 400 performances and 40 major roles with the latter.
A parallel international career developed as he was engaged for guest appearances in the opera houses of Paris, Brussels, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Concert appearances in Rome, Madrid, Athens, Lisbon and Stockholm were also part of his itinerary.
His BBC Promenade Concert debut was in 1961 and, as a result, he took the English language concert repertoire into many European concert halls including the premieres of works by Walton
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
, Tippett
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
, Vaughan Williams, Elgar and Britten.
His debut 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...
was in 1968. He then appeared in many roles in Italian, English, German, Russian and French for that company and starred in three world premieres including The Knot Garden (Faber) by Michael Tippett
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
on December 2, 1970 conducted by Sir Colin Davis and produced by Sir Peter Hall.
Meanwhile, appearances for the English National Opera included many major roles, notably as Wotan in Wagner's Ring Cycle. This role also brought him personal success in Europe and North and South America.
From 1976, when he joined 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...
of New York, much of his career was in the USA and was Wagner oriented. He subsequently appeared in most of the major cities for the leading American opera companies.
Both in Britain and America he is well known as a voice teacher and therapist and devotes some of his time to cancer research, guiding and helping patients with voice and throat problems.
In the UK, he has taught at the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity College of Music, and the Universities of Cardiff and Aberdeen; whilst in the USA he has taught at the Universities of Washington and California (UCLA) and lectured for the Yale Club
Yale Club of New York City
The Yale Club of New York City, commonly called the Yale Club, is a private club in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA Its membership is restricted almost entirely to alumni and faculty of Yale University, University of Virginia and Dartmouth College...
and the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
. He continues to teach regularly at the North East of Scotland Music School
North East of Scotland Music School
The North East of Scotland Music School is an independent charitable foundation established in Aberdeen, Scotland by the late Dorothy Hately MBE in 1975 with the encouragement of...
in Aberdeen.
In the sphere of international music competitions he became well known as an adjudicator and examiner, having appeared regularly as a jury member for competitions such as the BBC Young Musician of the Year
BBC Young Musician of the Year
The BBC Young Musician of the Year is a televised national music competition. It is broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Four biennially, despite the name, and hosted by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
and the Mary Garden award. In this capacity he is frequently invited overseas as the British representative on international juries.
His command of languages has sustained regular engagements to give Master Classes in Europe, America and the UK.
More recently he has become much in demand as a lecturer, speaker and translator and is also frequently engaged as a musical journalist and critic.
His numerous recordings include Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex
Oedipus rex (opera)
Oedipus rex is an "Opera-oratorio after Sophocles" by Igor Stravinsky, scored for orchestra, speaker, soloists, and male chorus. The libretto, based on Sophocles's tragedy, was written by Jean Cocteau in French and then translated by Abbé Jean Daniélou into Latin...
, Tippett's Midsummer Marriage
The Midsummer Marriage
The Midsummer Marriage is an opera in three acts, with music and libretto by Michael Tippett. The work's first performance was at Covent Garden, 27 January 1955, conducted by John Pritchard...
and The Knot Garden
The Knot Garden
The Knot Garden is the third opera by composer Michael Tippett for which he wrote the original English libretto. The work had its first performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 2 December 1970 conducted by Sir Colin Davis and produced by Sir Peter Hall...
, Handel's Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas
Dido and Aeneas
Dido and Aeneas is an opera in a prologue and three acts by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell to a libretto by Nahum Tate. The first known performance was at Josias Priest's girls' school in London no later than the summer of 1688. The story is based on Book IV of Virgil's Aeneid...
, Tavener's The Whale, Delius' Koanga
Koanga
Koanga is an opera with music by Frederick Delius, his third opera, written between 1896 and 1897, and a libretto by Charles F. Keary, inspired partly by The Grandissimes of George Washington Cable. Inspiration also came from Delius' own experiences as a young man when his family sent him to work...
plus Vaughan Williams' Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim's Progress (opera)
The Pilgrim's Progress is an opera by Ralph Vaughan Williams, based on John Bunyan's allegory The Pilgrim's Progress. The composer himself described the work as a 'Morality' rather than an opera, while nonetheless he intended the work to be performed on stage, rather than in a church or cathedral...
and Sir John in Love
Sir John in Love
Sir John in Love is an opera in four acts by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The libretto, by the composer himself, is based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. Vaughan Williams originally titled his opera The Fat Knight...
In 1991 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Aberdeen. He now lives in Bath and is married to Astra Blair
Astra Blair
Astra Blair is a British former opera singer, agent, and charity fundraiser.-Life and career:Blair was born Margaret J. Waugh in India and educated in England and West Africa. After finishing school Blair took up a scholarship at The Royal Academy of Music with singing as her principal study...
.