Otto Edelmann
Encyclopedia
Otto Edelmann was an Austrian bass
. He was born in Vienna
and studied singing in Vienna with Gunnar Graarud
. His debut was at Gera
as Figaro in Mozart's
The Marriage of Figaro
. He later sang the Vienna State Opera
, the Edinburgh
Festival
and the Metropolitan Opera
. He sang at the Bayreuth Festival
immediately after its reopening in 1951 after World War II, performing the role of Hans Sachs
in Wagner's
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
. (He also recorded as Veit Pogner the goldsmith in the same work in one of Hans Knappertsbusch
's early recorded performances.) He also sang Ochs in Richard Strauss
's Der Rosenkavalier
at the first performances in the new Salzburg Festspielhaus
in 1960. In 1957, he recorded the role of Wotan opposite Kirsten Flagstad
in Georg Solti
's recording of Act III of Wagner's Die Walküre
(an album made prior to the later famous complete set of Der Ring des Nibelungen
). He died in Vienna.
He is the father of the Austrian baritones Peter Edelmann and Paul-Armin Edelmann.
His voice was brassy and free, and very large, high for a bass but definitely a bass, not a baritone. He had a functional low extension, not full-sounding but very buzzy, which served him well in the role of Baron Ochs. His stage-personality and choice of roles tended toward likable comedic characters.
Videos are available of him as Baron Ochs (with Elizabeth Schwarzkopf) and Leporello (with Cesare Siepi
.)
The web-site of the Otto Edelmann Society is located at www.ottoedelmann.com
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
. He was born in Vienna
Vienna
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 studied singing in Vienna with Gunnar Graarud
Gunnar Graarud
Gunnar Graarud was a Norwegian operatic tenor. After making his debut in 1919, he was a leading artist at the Berlin State Opera from 1924-1926 and at the Vienna State Opera from 1929-1937. In 1927 he created the role of The blind judge in the world premiere of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Das Wunder...
. His debut was at Gera
Gera
Gera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster, approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometres to the east of Erfurt...
as Figaro in Mozart's
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
The Marriage of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
. He later sang the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
, the Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
and 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...
. He sang at the Bayreuth Festival
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...
immediately after its reopening in 1951 after World War II, performing the role of Hans Sachs
Hans Sachs
Hans Sachs was a German meistersinger , poet, playwright and shoemaker.-Biography:Hans Sachs was born in Nuremberg . His father was a tailor. He attended Latin school in Nuremberg...
in Wagner's
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
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,...
. (He also recorded as Veit Pogner the goldsmith in the same work in one of Hans Knappertsbusch
Hans Knappertsbusch
Hans Knappertsbusch was a German conductor, best known for his performances of the music of Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner and Richard Strauss....
's early recorded performances.) He also sang Ochs in Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
's Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
at the first performances in the new Salzburg Festspielhaus
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
in 1960. In 1957, he recorded the role of Wotan opposite Kirsten Flagstad
Kirsten Flagstad
Kirsten Målfrid Flagstad was a Norwegian opera singer and a highly regarded Wagnerian soprano...
in Georg Solti
Georg Solti
Sir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his...
's recording of Act III of Wagner's Die Walküre
Die Walküre
Die Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
(an album made prior to the later famous complete set of Der Ring des Nibelungen
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...
). He died in Vienna.
He is the father of the Austrian baritones Peter Edelmann and Paul-Armin Edelmann.
His voice was brassy and free, and very large, high for a bass but definitely a bass, not a baritone. He had a functional low extension, not full-sounding but very buzzy, which served him well in the role of Baron Ochs. His stage-personality and choice of roles tended toward likable comedic characters.
Videos are available of him as Baron Ochs (with Elizabeth Schwarzkopf) and Leporello (with Cesare Siepi
Cesare Siepi
Cesare Siepi was an Italian opera singer, generally considered to have been one of the finest basses of the post-war period. His voice was characterised by a deep, warm timbre, and a ringing, vibrant upper register. On stage, his tall, striking presence and elegance of phrasing made him a natural...
.)
The web-site of the Otto Edelmann Society is located at www.ottoedelmann.com