Max Schlosser (tenor)
Encyclopedia
Max Karl Schlosser was a German opera
singer.
A tenor
for most of his career, he later sang as a baritone
and is remembered today for his character roles in Wagner
's operas. He created the roles of David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
(1868), Mime in Das Rheingold
(1869), and The Messenger in the posthumous premiere of Wagner's early opera Die Feen
(1888). Schlosser also sang Mime at Bayreuth
in the first complete performance of The Ring Cycle
(1876) and in the cycle's first complete performance in London (1882).
Schlosser was born in Amberg
, Bavaria. He initially sang in operetta
s in Zürich
, St Gallen and Augsburg
to little success, and retired briefly to become a baker. However, in 1868 he took up his singing career again and was engaged by the Munich Hofoper
. He remained with the company until 1904 when he gave his farewell performance singing the Nightwatchman in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Other roles in his repertory included Count Almaviva in Rossini's The Barber of Seville
, Max in Weber
's Der Freischütz
, Lionel in Flotow
's Martha
, and the baritone role of Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger.
He died in Utting am Ammersee shortly before his 80th birthday.
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...
singer.
A tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
for most of his career, he later sang as a 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...
and is remembered today for his character roles in Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's operas. He created the roles of David 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,...
(1868), Mime in Das Rheingold
Das Rheingold
is the first of the four operas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen . It was originally written as an introduction to the tripartite Ring, but the cycle is now generally regarded as consisting of four individual operas.Das Rheingold received its premiere at the National Theatre...
(1869), and The Messenger in the posthumous premiere of Wagner's early opera Die Feen
Die Feen
Die Feen is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. The German libretto was written by the composer after Carlo Gozzi's La donna serpente.Die Feen was Wagner's first completed opera, but remained unperformed in his lifetime...
(1888). Schlosser also sang Mime at Bayreuth
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
in the first complete performance of 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...
(1876) and in the cycle's first complete performance in London (1882).
Schlosser was born in Amberg
Amberg
Amberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. Population: 44,756 .- History :...
, Bavaria. He initially sang in operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
s in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, St Gallen and Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
to little success, and retired briefly to become a baker. However, in 1868 he took up his singing career again and was engaged by the Munich Hofoper
Bavarian State Opera
The Bavarian State Opera is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:The opera company which was founded under Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy has been in existence since 1653...
. He remained with the company until 1904 when he gave his farewell performance singing the Nightwatchman in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Other roles in his repertory included Count Almaviva in Rossini's The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
, Max in Weber
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
's Der Freischütz
Der Freischütz
Der Freischütz is an opera in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind. It premiered on 18 June 1821 at the Schauspielhaus Berlin...
, Lionel in Flotow
Friedrich von Flotow
Friedrich Adolf Ferdinand, Freiherr von Flotow was a German composer. He is chiefly remembered for his opera Martha, which was popular in the 19th century....
's Martha
Martha (opera)
Martha, oder Der Markt zu Richmond is a 'romantic comic' opera in four acts by Friedrich von Flotow, set to a German libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Riese and based on a story by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges....
, and the baritone role of Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger.
He died in Utting am Ammersee shortly before his 80th birthday.