Description

ALEXANDER SVED (BUDAPEST, MAY 29, 1906 – VIENNA, JANUARY 9, 1979)

His real name was Sándor Svéd. He first studied violin at the Budapest Conservatory, then pursued singing with Fritz Feinhals in Berlin, continued with Mario Sammarco, and finally studied under Riccardo Stracciari in Milan. He made his debut at the Budapest National Opera in 1930 as Count di Luna in Trovatore. In 1931, he made his first guest appearance in Vienna as Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana and as Tonio in Pagliacci.

In 1935, he was engaged by Felix von Weingartner to the Vienna State Opera, where he worked until 1939. He sang in the 1935 premiere of Die Dame im Traum by Franz Salmhofer. During the 1936-1938 seasons, he made guest appearances at Covent Garden in London and at the Salzburg Festival. In Salzburg, he performed solos in the German Requiem by J. Brahms and in the oratorio Christus by F. Liszt (1936), as Lysiart in Euryanthe (1937), and as Wolfram in Tannhäuser (1938).

In 1938, he performed at Maggio Musicale Florence and on Italian radio EIAR in L’Arlesiana and La Favorita. In 1939, he appeared at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in the title role of G. Rossini’s Guglielmo Tell. During this period, he performed in Italy under the name Alessandro de Sved and was a regular guest at the Munich State Opera.

In 1940, he joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making his debut as Renato in Un ballo in maschera. Over eight seasons, he performed twelve roles in a total of 60 performances, including Scarpia in Tosca, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Escamillo in Carmen, and Amonasro in Aida. In 1955, he undertook another concert tour through North America and in 1958 made guest appearances at the Vienna Volksoper.

TRACKLIST

1. Agnus Dei (Bizet) 47094-B 6999 ½ GR Polydor, 1937
2. An die Musik (Schubert) Aureliana Beltrami piano DB 5367 2BA 3935 HMV 1940
3. Der Wanderer (Schubert) Aureliana Beltrami piano DB 5367 2BA 3934 HMV 1940
4. Ein Maskenball (Verdi) Du allein hast dies Herz mir entwendet 35040 377 ½ GO Grammophon 1936
5. Ein Maskenball (Verdi) Für dein Glück und für dein Leben 35040 376 ½ GO Grammophon 1936
6. Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Resta immobile DB5366 2BA3929 HMV, Milano 1940
7. Ich grolle nicht (Schumann) Aureliana Beltrami piano DA 5387 0BA 3932 HMV, 1940
8. Il Trovatore (Verdi) Ihres Auges himmlisch Strahlen 67173 B Polydor
9. Il Trovatore (Verdi) Sieh’ meiner hellen Träne flut (w. Ursuleac) 67173 600 ½ GS8 Grammophon 1936
10. La Dannazione di Faust (Berlioz) Che fai tu qui HMV DA 5388 OBA 3926 HMV 1940
11. La Dannazione di Faust (Berlioz) Su queste rose HMV DA 5388 OBA 3927 HMV 1940
12. Macbeth (Verdi) Pietà, rispetto, amore DB5366 2BA3928 HMV, Milano 1940
13. Rigoletto (Verdi) Cortigiani vil razza dannata 35039 599 ½ GS8 Grammophon 1936
14. Rigoletto (Verdi) Pari siamo 3509 598 ½ bm Grammophon 1936
15. Schwester Maria (Tonfilm) Ich mach’ alles aus Liebe für dich (Fenyes) 47094-A 7000 ½ GR Polydor, Berlin
16. Widmung (Schumann) Aureliana Beltrami piano DA 5387 0BA 3933 HMV, 1940