Description

ALEXANDER HAYDTER (VIENNA, 13 OCTOBER, 1872 – VIENNA, 13 FEBRUARY, 1919)

 

 

 

 

He initially worked as a leather goods worker in Vienna before studying singing with Joseph Gänsbacher and Geiringer. He made his debut in 1896 at the Zurich City Theater as St. Bris in Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. While in Zurich, he continued his studies with the pedagogue Adolf Uttner. From 1898 to 1905, he was engaged at the Deutsches Theater in Prague, where he appeared in the premiere of Eugen d’Albert’s opera Tiefland (November 16, 1903, as Tommaso), the premiere of Cesare Rossi’s opera Nadeya, and as early as 1901 in Karel Weis’s Der Polnische Jew.

In 1905, he was appointed to the Vienna Court Opera, where he remained a member until his death. At the Salzburg Mozart Festivals organized by Lilli Lehmann, he sang Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro (1906) and the Speaker in Die Zauberflöte (1910). At the Vienna Court Opera, he participated in the premiere of Julius Bittner’s Der Musikant (1910) and Eugen d’Albert’s Die verschenkte Frau (1912). In 1911, he created the role of Faninal in the world premiere of Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier.

Other highlights of his extensive repertoire included Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Alberich in Der Ring des Nibelungen, Baculus in Lortzing’s Der Wildschütz, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Pizarro in Fidelio, the Landgrave in Tannhäuser, and King Henry in Lohengrin. He was married to the contralto Hermine Kittel (1879–1948).

The singer’s dark-toned, expressive voice, which encompassed a very extensive stage and concert repertoire, is preserved on records for G&T (Prague, 1904), Favorite (Vienna, 1905–06), Lyrophon (Vienna, 1905–06), Columbia (Vienna, 1905), and Odeon (Vienna, 1906–07).

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

Ave Maria (Attenhofer) D3036 12979-1 Columbia, Wien 1908-07

Demon (Rubinstein) Arie des Dämon 1-25085 2327-f Favorite, Wien 1906-03

Faust (Gounod) Terzett (w. Melms & Maikl) 38365 Odeon, Wien 1906-05 to 07

Graduale (Domine ne in furore tuo) (Weiss) D3399 12978-1 Columbia, Wien 1908-07

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Vom Krieg, der uns bedroht (Bénédiction) 1-25097 2436-f Favorite, Wien 1906-04

Lohengrin (Wagner) Des Königs Wort und Will’ tu ich euch kund 1-25084 2326-f Favorite, Wien 1906-03

Lohengrin (Wagner) Habt Dank, ihr Lieben von Brabant 1-25083 2325-f Favorite, Wien 1906-03

Poupée (Audran) Zufriedenheit 2-42139 3231B G&T, Praha 1903 (late)

Poupée Audran) Zufriedenheit 2-42139 3231B G&T, Praha 1903 (late)

Rheingold (Wagner) Bin ich nun frei (Fluch des Alberich) 1-25082 2324-f Favorite, Wien 1906-03

Tannhäuser (Wagner) Dich treff’ ich hier in dieser Halle (Ansprache des Landgrafen, pt 1) 38366 Vx1361 Odeon, Wien 1906-05 to 07

Tannhäuser (Wagner) Gar viel und schön (Ansprache des Landgrafen, pt 2) 38368 Xv1443 Odeon, Wien 1906-05 to 07