Peter Cornelius (Tenor) (Labjerggaard, Denmark January 21, 1865 - Copenhagen, Denmark December 25, 1934)

His real name was Cornelius Petersen. He worked in a restaurant in Copenhagen and was discovered there by the tenor Nyrop, who gave him singing lessons. In 1892 Cornelius made his debut as baritone at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen as Escamillo in ‘’Carmen’’. Additionally he studied under by Hermann Spiro and Julius Lieban in Berlin. In 1899 he made his debut as tenor at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen in the part of as as Steersman in ‘’Fliegenden Holländer’’. He retired from the stage in 1922. He worked as vocal pedagogue in Copenhagen.

Lit.: G.Skjerne. 'Peter Cornelius' (Kopenhagen, 1917); C.Cornelius: 'Peter Cornelius' (Kopenhagen, 1925).

Chronology of some appearances

1892-1922 Copenhagen Royal Opera Carmen (Escamillo)
1899 Copenhagen Royal Opera Fliegenden Holländer (Steersman)
1906 Bayreuth Festival Walküre (Siegmund)
1907 London Covent Garden Walküre (Siegmund)
1908 London Covent Garden Ring-Zyklus (Siegfried)
1909 London Covent Garden Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Walther von Stolzing)
1910 London Covent Garden Tristan und Isolde (Tristan)
1911-1914 London Covent Garden

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

G&T, København 1907-02

Lohengrin (Wagner): Graals fortælling 2-82460 10173u

Gramophone, London 1909-02-10

Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond 042196 2801f

Gramophone, London 1909-02-15

Walküre (Wagner): Siegfried, sieh' auf mich (w. Saltzmann-Stevens) 044107 2819f

Gramophone, København 1915-11-17 

Lohengrin (Wagner): Sødt gennem haven bølger blomsterduften 3-82067 19938b

Lohengrin (Wagner): Ak Elsa, hvis et aar (O Elsa, nur ein Jahr) 3-82068 19939½b