#Otto Goritz

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Otto Goritz as Papageno and Bella Alten as Papagena in The Magic Flute

[opera-ghosts]

Here a picture of Melanie Kurt as Isolde.

 Born on January 8th 1880 in Vienna, Melanie Kurt studied piano before her voice was discovered. Her singing teachers were Fanny Müller and Mari Lehmann, famous sister of the even more famous Lilli, Lehmann. In 1902 Kurt gave her debut as E1isabeth in "Tannhäuser" at the Stadttheater in Lübeck. In 1905 she moved on to Braunschweig and in 1908 arrived at the Berlin Court Opera. She became known internationally through her guest appearances at the London Covent Garden Opera as Sieglinde, in 1910 and later performances in Budapest, Dresden, Munich and several Italian Opera Houses. At the Salzburg Festival she sang together with Hermine Kittel and Lilli Lehmann the Three Ladies in "Die Zauberflöte". In 1913 she joined the ensemble of the just opened Deutsche Opernhaus Berlin, where she concentrated on dramatic roles: she was Berlin's first Kundry at the premiere at the Deutsches Opernhaus on January 1st 1914. Her contract with the Metropolitan Opera in 1915 can be considered the high point of the soprano's career. During those three years in New York she not only sang the dramatic Wagner-roles, but also mezzo roles, such as Fricka in "Rheingold", she was Amelia in "Un Ballo in Maschera" (with Enrico Caruso and Pasquale Amato), Marschallin in "Rosenkavalier", Iphigenie, Santuzza, Leonore ("Fidelio") and Pamina (in a cast which included Carl Braun and Frieda Hempel and saw as Tamino either Johannes Sembach, Jacques Urlus or Otto Goritz). In the programs of her MET concerts she also tried to include less familiar arias, such as the then only rarely performed Rezia aria from "Oberon" or Johanna's aria from the opera by Tschaikovsy. After the 1916/17 season most German singers, especially if they had focused their repertory on Wagner opera, left the MET: together with Margarete Arndt-Ober, Ernestine Schumann Heink, Johanna Gadski, Carl Braun, Otto Goritz, Johannes Sembach, Hermann Weiland Jacques Urlus Melanie Kurt left the United States in 1917. Kurt's last performance at the MET as Brünnhilde on March 28th 1917 (with Urlus, Braun, Reiss and Arndt-Ober) was at the same time the last "Siegfried" until 1923. After her return to Europe Melanie Kurt accepted no more long-term engagements but gave guest performances, especially in her much acclaimed Wagner roles, at all major European stages. She was the first Brünnhilde in "Siegfried" at the Waldoper Zoppot when the Festival was opened in 1922. The performance was conducted by the young Hans Knappertsbusch and the cast included Fritz Vogelstrom, Heinrich Knote, Werner Engel, Waldemar Henke, Desider Zador and Margarete Arndt-Ober. After having ended her singing career Melanie Kurt lived in Berlin and later in Vienna where she was active as a singing teacher. After the annexion of Austria by the Third Reich in 1938 she was able to leave her home country in time and emigrated to the United States where she died in New York on March 11th 1941.

[seventh-victim]

German Baritone, Otto Goritz as Klingsor in the Richard Wagner opera, Parsifal, c.1903  (photo: Aime Dupont)

[todayclassical]

June 08 in Music History

1671 Birth of composer Tomaso Albinoni. 1740 Birth of composer Gabriele Mario Piozzi.

1724 FP of Keiser's "Das frohlockende Gross Britannien" Hamburg.

1753 Birth of French composer Nicolas Dalayrac.

1783 Birth of composer Joseph Lincke.

1787 FP of Salieri's "Tarare" Paris, recomposed and given as "Axur, re d'Ormus".

1790 Birth of Austrian baritone Anton Forti in Vienna. 

1796 Death of Italian composer, conductor and violinist Felice d´Giardini.

1805 Birth of composer Luigi Ricci.

1810 Birth of German composer Robert Alexander Schumann.

1812 Birth of composer Spyridon Xyndas.

1814 Birth of Moravian violinist and composer Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst. 

1815 FP of Coccia's "Clotilde" Venice.

1839 Death of German soprano Aloysia Weber.

1834 Birth of composer George Garrett.

1837 Birth of composer Jan Kleczynski.

1850 FP of Halevy's "La Tempestà" London.

1858 Birth of composer Antonio Nicolau.

1859 FP of Delibes' "L'omelette à la Follembuche" Paris.

1863 Birth of German tenor Ernst Kraus in Erlangen.

1867 Birth of French composer Jean-Baptiste Lemire in Colmar. 

1867 FP of Johannes Brahms' Scherzo in eb, Op. 4, for piano, in Vienna. 

1868 Birth of Spanish-American pianist and composer Alberto Jonas.

1873 Birth of German baritone Otto Goritz in Berlin. 

1881 Birth of composer Prospero Bisquertt.

1884 Death of American composer and music publisher Henry Clay Work.

1888 Birth of composer Poul Julius Ouscher Schierbeck.

1890 Birth of tenor Nikandr Khanayev in Pesochnya. 

1894 Birth of Czech composer Ervin Schulhoff in Praha, Czech Republic.

1895 FP of Cowen's "Harold, or The Norman Conquest" London.

1898 Birth of German bass Robert Easton in Sunderland. 

1898 FP of Rousseau's "La Cloche du Rhin" Paris.

1906 Birth of English clarinetist Reginald Kell in York. 1912 FP of Ravel's ballet Daphnis and Chloe in stage form, by Diaghilev and the Ballet Russe, Pierre Monteux conducting at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. 

1913 Birth of composer Janos Jagamas.

1920 Birth of bass Peter Roth-Ehrang in Trier. 

1923 Birth of Belgian composer Karel Goeyvarets in Antwerp. 

1926 Birth of composer Anatol Vieru.

1927 Birth of Australian baritone Robert Allman in Melbourne. 

1928 Birth of composer Jiri Dvoracek.

1929 FP of Paul Hindemith's Neus vom Tage 'News of the Day' at the Krolloper in Berlin.

1930 Birth of American bass Raymond Michalski in Bayonne, NJ.

1930 Birth of composer Yannis Ioannidis.

1932 Birth of composer Hans Gunter Helms.

1932 Death of Hungarian soprano Clementine Schuch-Proska.

1933 Birth of American baritone Robert Kerns in Highland Park, MI. 

1937 FP of Boero's "Siripo" Buenos Aires.

1937 FP of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana at the Opernhaus in Frankfurt. 

1940 Death of American composer Frederick Shepherd Converse.

1941 Birth of American flutist Paula Robison in Tennesee.

1941 FP of Harold Shapero's Nine Minute Overture in NYC. 

1947 Birth of American composer Joan La Barbara in Philadelphia, PA.

1949 Birth of Polish-American pianist Emanuel Ax in Lvov, Poland. 

1950 FP of Paul Hindemith's Horn Concerto. Hindemith conducting with Dennis Brain soloist in Baden-Baden, Germany. 

1957 FP of Fortner's "Bluthochzeit" Cologne. A revision FP in 1963. 1961 Birth of American soprano Kallen Esperian in Waukegan, IL. 

1965 Death of Scottish composer, conductor and pianist Erik Chisholm.

1966 Birth of American composer Harold Meltzer.

1968 FP of Harrison Birtwistle's opera Punch and Judy.

1969 Death of American soprano Lenora Sparks. 

1971 Death of American bass-baritone Julius Huehn.

1974 FP of Henry Brant's An American Requiem in Mt. Lebanon, PA.

1984 Death of English composer Gordon Jacob in Saffron Walden. 

1998 Death of German-American composer Margaret Buechner.

[vinylespassion]

Otto Goritz

Merci girlsgonevinyl !

[nicknumber]

Hermann Wilhelm Weil as Hans Sachs and Otto Goritz as Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

[opera-ghosts]

January 23. 1897 the Opera „Königskinder“ from Engelbert Humperdinck was premiered. The second version has his Worldpremiere at the The Metropolitan Opera in 1910 with Carl Jörn (1873-1947) as the King‘s Son. Here we see a Original Castlist from one of the first performances at the Met.

Here we see a Original Castlist from one of the first performances at the Met and an old postcard with a portrait of the composer.

[opera-ghosts]

Otto Goritz (June 8, 1873 - April 13, 1929) was a German baritone with the Metropolitan Opera from 1903 to 1917. He then sang for the Hamburg State Opera. Goritz was born in 1873 in Germany. He received his musical education from his mother, Olga Nielitz. He made his debut on Oct. 1, 1895, as Matteo (Fra Diavolo) at Neustrelitz, and his success led to an immediate engagement for 3 years. From 1898 to 1900 he was in Breslau, and from 1900 to 1903 in Hamburg. He sang with the Metropolitan Opera from 1903 to 1917. On Dec. 24, 1903, he made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera in N.Y. as Klingsor in the first production of Parsifal outside Bayreuth; remained there until 1917. In 1924 he returned to Germany, where he sang in Berlin and Hamburg. He performed in 25 roles at the Metropolitan, 24 of them in German and 1 in Italian. After the USA entered World War I in 1917, the Metropolitan Opera suspended performances of works from the German repertory and Goritz was either fired or forced to resign from the Met after having been rumoured to have sung a parody celebrating the 1915 sinking of the RMS Lusitania at a New Year's Eve party hosted by Met soprano Johanna Gadski in 1916 (Gadski also was forced out of the Met around the same time due to the war and her German links). Goritz returned to Germany, and sang with the Hamburg State Opera for a number of years before returning to New York in the late 1920s.In the 1910s, Goritz sang works by Mozart, Wagner, and others on a number of 78 rpm recordings for Columbia Records, Edison Records, Victor and Victrola Records (two imprints of the Victor Talking Machine Company), and other companies. German baritone Otto Goritz created the key role of the Fiddler in the acclaimed world premiere of Königskinder at the Met on December 28, 1910. The composer was in attendance, with a cast led by Geraldine Farrar, Hermann Jadlowker and Goritz. In its rave review, the New York Times praised the humor and spirit of the baritone’s portrayal, in a role “admirably suited to him.” He died on April 13, 1929 in Manhattan, New York City.

[opera-ghosts]

Otto Goritz was a baritone with the Metropolitan Opera from 1903 to 1917. He then sang for the Hamburg State Opera.

Goritz was born in 1873 in Germany. He sang with the Metropolitan Opera from 1903 to 1917. He performed in 25 roles at the Metropolitan, 24 of them in German and 1 in Italian.

Beginning in 1903, he was a great star at the Met, especially successful in Wagner roles. In his 14 seasons there, he appeared over 400 times in 23 different roles, including in the premiere of Humperdinck’s Konigskinder. 

In the 1910s, Goritz sang works by Mozart, Wagner, and others on a number of 78 rpm recordings for Columbia Records, Edison Records, Victor and Victrola Records (two imprints of the Victor Talking Machine Company), and other companies.

German baritone Otto Goritz created the key role of the Fiddler in the acclaimed world premiere of Königskinder at the Met on December 28, 1910. The composer was in attendance, with a cast led by Geraldine Farrar, Hermann Jadlowker and Goritz. In its rave review, the New York Times praised the humor and spirit of the baritone’s portrayal, in a role “admirably suited to him.”

After the USA entered World War I, he departed under a cloud, having been rumoured to have sung a parody celebrating the sinking of the RMS Lusitania at a party hosted by Johanna Gadski on New Year’s Eve, 1916.

He returned to Germany, and sang with the Hamburg State Opera for a number of years. 

[opera-ghosts]

Robert Blass (1867-1930) American bass. Educated in New York public schools, Blass entered the Leipzig Conservatory in 1887, planning violin study with Hans Sitt. Found to have an excellent singing voice, he continued instead under Gustav Ewald and then in Frankfurt with Julius Stockhausen. In 1895 Blass debuted at Weimar as Heinrich in Lohengrin, leading to engagements in Germany.13-11-1900 debut at New York Metropolitan Opera (MET), 481 performances. Last performance 21-04-1922.Year 1910. Chicago 25-04-1910: Alfred Hertz, Otto Goritz (1873-1929) and Gustav Mahler (1860-1911). Signee, Let me sleep!, Robert Blass (1867-1930). ‘Let me sleep.’A Chicago album was first owned by Henrietta Schwill (born approximately 1870) to Albert and Carrie Schwill. Albert was head of a malt company in Chicago, IL that bore his name. With other relatives taking jobs within the company, this enabled his family to live quite comfortably. The earliest entries in the book appear in the 1880s. Though Henrietta would have been just a teenager, she was within enough society circles to have contact with notable musicians of the day. One of the last entries in the album shows a new addition to the family: Carla, the Heinzens’ daughter. This album leaf, addressed to Carla, is interesting because of the Caricatures of the “Three Stars”: Alfred Hertz (conductor), Otto Goritz (1873-1929) (baritone) and Gustav Mahler (1860-1911). Signee is Robert Blass (1867-1930).

[todayclassical]

June 09 in Music History

1361 Death of French composer Philippe de Vitry in Meauxat.

1527 Death of German composer Heinrich Finck in Vienna. 

1588 Birth of composer Johann Andreas Herbst.

1616 Death of Dutch composer Cornelis Schuyt in Leiden, Netherlands. 

1656 Death of English composer Thomas Tomkins.

1668 FP of Draghi's "Gl'amori di Cefalo e Procri" Vienna.

1791 Birth of American composer John Howard PAYNE.

1797 FP of Paisello's "Chi la dura la vince" Milan.

1806 FP of Dalayrac's "Deux mots" Paris.

1810 Birth of German composer and conductor Carl Otto Ehrenfried Nicolai.

1828 Birth of composer Carlo Marsili.

1829 Birth of Italian composer Gaetano Braga.

1836 Death of American singer and composer Supply Belcher.

1840 FP of a concert called a 'recital'. A solo performance by Franz Liszt at the Hanover Square Rooms in London

1845 Birth of German composer and pianist Herrmann Scholtz in Breslau. 

1852 FP of F. Ricci's "Il marito e l'amante" Vienna.

1849 Birth of Canadian band conductor and composer Joseph Vezina. 

1860 FP of Robert Schumann's Cello Concerto. Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra posthumous commemorating the composer's 50th birthday, soloist Ludwig Ebert.

1865 Birth of American pianist and organist Clarence G. Hamilton. 

1865 Birth of French composer Lucien-Denis-Gabriel-Alberic Magnard.

1865 Birth of Danish composer Carl Nielsen.

1873 Birth of German baritone Otto Goritz in Berlin. 

1877 Birth of Italian baritone Tita Ruffo in Pisa. 

1886 Birth of Japanese composer and conductor Kosaku Yamada in Tokyo. 

1887 FP of Bruneau's "Kérim" Paris.

1888 Birth of composer, violinist Hugo Kauder. 

1889 Birth of Austrian bass-baritone Alfred Jerger in Borno.

 1890 Birth of Italian tenor Nino PiccalugaI in Casorate, Lombardi. 

1890 FP of DE Koven's "Robin Hood" Chicago. 

1891 Birth of American popular music composer Cole Porter.

1896 Birth of German baritone Josef Burgwinkel. 

1897 Death of composer Guillaume Ignace Gibsone in London.

1899 Birth of Norwegian soprano Signe Amundsen in Oslo, Norway. 

1900 Birth of American choral director and conductor Fred Waring.

1902 FP of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3, at the Festival of the Allgemeiner Deutsche Musikverein, with the composer conducting in Krefeld, Germany.

1904 First concert performance by The London Symphony Orchestra. 

1905 Birth of composer Walter Kraft.

1909 Birth of Belgian composer Robert Oboussier in Antwerp.

1912 Birth of composer Ingolf Dahl in Hamburg.

1912 Birth of Welsh tenor Edgar Evans in Cardiganshire. 

1912 FP of Igor Starvinsky's four-hand piano version of the score for The Rite of Spring which the Ballet Russe would premiere the following year in Paris, at a private performance in Bellevue, France. Soloists were Claude Debussy and Stravinsky.

1914 Birth of composer Hermann Haller.

1920 FP of D'Indy's "La Légende de Saint-Christophe" Paris.

1927 Birth of Italian composer Franco Donatoni in Verona. 

1930 Birth of Australian baritone Geoffrey Chard in Sydney. 

1932 Death of Polish pianist Maria Natalia Janotha in The Hague.

1934 Birth of composer Pal Karolyi.

1938 Birth of American composer, pianist Charles Wuorinen in NYC.

1938 Birth of Italian baritone Lorenzo Saccomani in Milan.

1939 Birth of Roumanian soprano Ileana Cotrubas in Galati.

1940 FP of Aaron Copland's Our Town orchestral suite from the film score, on CBS radio network.1946 Death of Austrian tenor Adolf Wallnofer.

1948 Birth of American cellist Nathaniel Rosen in Altadena CA.

1949 Death of Rumanian-Austrian soprano Maria Cebotari in Vienna, age 39. 

1951 Death of Russian soprano Xenia Dershinskaya.

 1951 FP of Franz Joseph Haydn´s opera Orpheus and Eurydice at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence. Composed in 1791 for performance in London, it was not performed during his lifetime.

1957 Death of Belgian composer Robert Oboussier in Antwerp. 

1959 Birth of American composer Kevin Jagoe.

1963 Death of Italian baritone Alfredo Gandolfi in NYC. 

1964 Birth of Norwegian composer Roger Arve Vigulfl in Spjelkavik.

1964 Death of Polish-American composer Louis Gruenberg.

1965 Death of tenor Fritz Soot. 

1966 FP of Benjamin Britten's church opera The Burning Fiery Furnace in Orford Church, Aldeburgh.

1968 Robert F. Kennedy memorial concert by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. The Adagietto movement from Mahler's Symphony No. 5, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC.

1969 Death of baritone John Daggett Howell. 

1979 Death of German tenor Walter Geisler. 

1979 Death of Hungarian baritone Alexander Sved. 

1999 Death of French composer Maurice Journeau in Versailles.

 2004 The centenary of the London Symphony Orchestra's first concert on 9 JUN 1904.