He first studied
dentistry. After he became aware of his beautiful voice, however, he decided to
pursue a career in singing and was trained by Theo Lierhammer in Vienna and
Anna Bahr-Mildenburg in Munich. After his first success at the Breslau Opera
House, he came to the Bavarian State Opera (1930). For more than twenty years
he remained their celebrated first tenor for the heroic and especially for the
Wagner operas. As early as 1930, he participated in the premiere of Julius
Weismann's "Gespenstersonate". At the Vienna State Opera he was heard
in his major roles in the 1933-1934 seasons. From 1937 to 1942 and again in the
1947-1948, 1951-1953 seasons he appeared also at the Vienna Volksoper. Since
1935 there has been a guest performance at the State Opera in Dresden. Guest
performances have taken him to other theaters in Germany and abroad. In 1933 he
made guest appearances at the Frankfurt am Main Opera House, in 1935 at the
Grand Opéra in Paris (as Tristan), in 1936 at the Sopot Festival (as Parsifal),
in 1942 at the Berlin State Opera (as Herod in "Salome" by R.
Strauss). In 1936 he performed with the Ensemble of the Dresden Opera at the
Covent Garden Opera in London as Tristan. In 1947 he was heard at the Grand
Théâtre in Geneva; In 1949 he sang in R. Wagner’s "Rheingold" in a
performance of the Ring Cycle in the Austrian radio. He also appeared as a
concert singer. After completing his career, he worked again as a dentist.
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