Adolf Robinson
Encyclopedia
Adolf Robinson was an Austria
n baritone
who had a major opera
career during the second half of the 19th century. His extensive stage repertoire contained numerous Wagnerian
roles such as Wotan in The Ring Cycle
and Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
. Other highlights of his career included the title characters in Rossini's William Tell
, Mozart's Don Giovanni
, Verdi's Rigoletto
, Hérold's Zampa
, and Heinrich Marschner
's Der Templer und die Jüdin
.
and was educated at the famous school of singing by Francesco Lamperti
in Milan. In 1857 he made his debut at the Theater of Olomouc as Carlo in Verdi's Ernani
. Beginning in 1862, he sang in Graz at the Berlin Opera. He had engagements at the Deutsches Theater in Prague, at the Opera House in Hamburg, at the Municipal Theater of Wroclaw, and at the Municipal Theater of Bremen. At the same time he left work after an extended guest appearance at the opera houses of the German speaking world. Four times he traveled to North America, where in 1884–89 he performed on the New York Metropolitan Opera with great success. There he sang in 1887 in the premiere of Viktor Nessler
's opera Der Trompeter von Säkkingen
, and on 25 January 1888 he played the role of Gunther in the American premiere of Wagner's Götterdämmerung
. He also appeared as Kurwenal in the New York City premiere of Tristan and Isolde in 1886. Further guest appearances North America included performances in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis and San Francisco.
Starting in 1892, Robinson lived in Brno
and entered at the local opera house as a guest, but also devoted himself to intensive educational activities. He eventually settled down as a teacher in Vienna; his most famous pupil was the great tenor Leo Slezak
. Other pupils included Rudolf Berger, Friedrich Schorr
, Alexander Kirchner, Frances Rose, and Joseph Black.
The artist's wife, Leonora Robinson (real name: Leonore Hahn Edle von Hahnenheim), was a major opera singer. She had been taught by Mrs. Marschner at the Conservatory of Vienna, and in 1869 made her debut at the Court Opera in Vienna. She later came to the opera house of Hamburg and accompanied her husband during his guest appearances in Germany, Amsterdam, London, and the United States, where she sang such roles as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and Leonore in Fidelio
. She also appeared at the Metropolitan Opera. In 1882–83 she took part in a European tour with the traveling Wagner Theater and the impresario
Angelo Neumann. Two daughters of the singer couple had singing careers: Ada von Westhofen-Robinson (1878–1914) and Louise Robinson (1884–1934).
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n 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...
who had a major 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...
career during the second half of the 19th century. His extensive stage repertoire contained numerous Wagnerian
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
roles such as Wotan in The Ring Cycle
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
and 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,...
. Other highlights of his career included the title characters in Rossini's William Tell
William Tell
William Tell is a folk hero of Switzerland. His legend is recorded in a late 15th century Swiss chronicle....
, Mozart's Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, Verdi's Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
, Hérold's Zampa
Zampa
Zampa, ou La fiancée de marbre is an opéra comique in three acts by French composer Louis Joseph Ferdinand Hérold...
, and Heinrich Marschner
Heinrich Marschner
Heinrich August Marschner , was the most important composer of German Romantic opera between Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner, and is remembered principally for his operas Hans Heiling , Der Vampyr , and Der Templer und die Jüdin...
's Der Templer und die Jüdin
Der Templer und die Jüdin
Der Templer und die Jüdin is an opera in three acts by Heinrich Marschner...
.
Life
Robinson was a student of Proch and Levy in 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...
and was educated at the famous school of singing by Francesco Lamperti
Francesco Lamperti
Francesco Lamperti was an Italian singing teacher.A native of Savona, Lamperti attended the Milan Conservatory where, beginning in 1850, he taught for a quarter of a century. He was director at the Teatro Filodrammatico in Lodi. In 1875 he left the school and began to teach as a private tutor...
in Milan. In 1857 he made his debut at the Theater of Olomouc as Carlo in Verdi's Ernani
Ernani
Ernani is an operatic dramma lirico in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play Hernani by Victor Hugo. The first production took place at La Fenice Theatre, Venice on 9 March 1844...
. Beginning in 1862, he sang in Graz at the Berlin Opera. He had engagements at the Deutsches Theater in Prague, at the Opera House in Hamburg, at the Municipal Theater of Wroclaw, and at the Municipal Theater of Bremen. At the same time he left work after an extended guest appearance at the opera houses of the German speaking world. Four times he traveled to North America, where in 1884–89 he performed on the New York Metropolitan Opera with great success. There he sang in 1887 in the premiere of Viktor Nessler
Viktor Nessler
Viktor Ernst Nessler was an Alsatian composer who worked mainly in Leipzig.Nessler was born at Baldenheim near Sélestat, Alsace. At Strasbourg he began his university career with the study of theology, but he concluded it with the production of a light opera entitled Fleurette...
's opera Der Trompeter von Säkkingen
Der Trompeter von Säkkingen
Der Trompeter von Säkkingen is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Viktor Nessler. The German libretto was by Rudolf Bunge, based on the epic poem, Der Trompeter von Säckingen , by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel....
, and on 25 January 1888 he played the role of Gunther in the American premiere of Wagner's Götterdämmerung
Götterdämmerung
is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen...
. He also appeared as Kurwenal in the New York City premiere of Tristan and Isolde in 1886. Further guest appearances North America included performances in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis and San Francisco.
Starting in 1892, Robinson lived in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
and entered at the local opera house as a guest, but also devoted himself to intensive educational activities. He eventually settled down as a teacher in Vienna; his most famous pupil was the great tenor Leo Slezak
Leo Slezak
Leo Slezak was a world-famous Moravian tenor. He was associated in particular with German opera as well as the title role in Verdi's Otello.- Beginnings :...
. Other pupils included Rudolf Berger, Friedrich Schorr
Friedrich Schorr
Friedrich Schorr , was a renowned Austrian-Hungarian bass-baritone opera singer of Jewish origin. He later became a naturalized American....
, Alexander Kirchner, Frances Rose, and Joseph Black.
The artist's wife, Leonora Robinson (real name: Leonore Hahn Edle von Hahnenheim), was a major opera singer. She had been taught by Mrs. Marschner at the Conservatory of Vienna, and in 1869 made her debut at the Court Opera in Vienna. She later came to the opera house of Hamburg and accompanied her husband during his guest appearances in Germany, Amsterdam, London, and the United States, where she sang such roles as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and Leonore in Fidelio
Fidelio
Fidelio is a German opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto is by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly which had been used for the 1798 opera Léonore, ou L’amour conjugal by Pierre Gaveaux, and for the 1804 opera Leonora...
. She also appeared at the Metropolitan Opera. In 1882–83 she took part in a European tour with the traveling Wagner Theater and the impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
Angelo Neumann. Two daughters of the singer couple had singing careers: Ada von Westhofen-Robinson (1878–1914) and Louise Robinson (1884–1934).
Sources
- Eaton, Quaintance, Opera Caravan: Adventures Of The Metropolitan On Tour 1883 – 1956, Metropolitan Opera Guild/Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1957.
- Kosch, Wilhelm, Deutsches Theater-lexikon: Raupach-Rostock (Volume 20 of Deutsches Theater-lexikon: Biographisches und Bibliographisches Handbuch), Kleinmayr, 1951
- New York Times, "Opera at the Metropolitan", 18 November 1884, p. 5.
- Randel, Don MichaelDon Michael RandelDon Michael Randel is a prominent American musicologist, the fifth president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and a member of the editorial board of Encyclopaedia Britannica...
, The Harvard biographical dictionary of music, Harvard University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-674-37299-9