Description

THEODOR BERTRAM (STUTTGART, 12 FEBRUARY, 1869 – BAYREUTH, 24 NOVEMBER, 1907)

 

 

 

 

The son of baritone Heinrich Bertram (1825–1903) and dramatic soprano Marie Bertram-Mayer (1838–1882), he studied singing under his father and made his debut in 1889 at the Stadttheater in Ulm as the Hermit in Weber’s Der Freischütz. In 1891, he joined the Stadttheater in Hamburg, and the following year, he was engaged by the Kroll Opera in Berlin. From 1893 to 1899, he was a member of the Hofoper in Munich, where he gained acclaim, particularly for his performances during Richard Wagner’s festivals. His portrayals of Hans Sachs and Wotan were especially celebrated.

In Munich, he participated in significant operatic premieres, including Alexander Zemlinsky’s Sarema and Ludwig Thuille’s Theuerdank (both in 1897) and Siegfried Wagner’s Der Bärenhäuter in 1899. That same year, he joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he performed until 1901. His repertoire at the Met included roles in Wagner’s operas as well as Mr. Fluth in Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor and Pizarro in Beethoven’s Fidelio. He also made guest appearances in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston.

In 1892, he made his Bayreuth Festival debut in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. From 1901 to 1906, he was a central figure at Bayreuth, where he was much admired for his interpretations of Wotan, the Flying Dutchman, Amfortas in Parsifal, and Wolfram in Tannhäuser. Cosima Wagner especially valued his performances, considering his Wotan exemplary.

From 1902, he was engaged by the Vienna Hofoper and continued to make guest appearances in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Prague (at the Deutsches Theater, 1901–1905), Zurich (1903–1905), Stockholm (Royal Opera, 1904), and London (Covent Garden, 1900, 1903, and 1907). He also performed regularly at the Frankfurt Opera from 1901 to 1906.

He was married to soprano Fanny Moran-Olden (1855–1905), who tragically passed away due to mental illness. His second wife, singer Lotte Wetterling, died in a shipwreck on February 21, 1907. Overwhelmed by grief, he succumbed to alcoholism and eventually took his own life by hanging in Bayreuth. According to his last wish, he was buried in Holland beside Lotte Wetterling.

His extensive repertoire included Don Giovanni, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Kühleborn in Lortzing’s Undine, Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde, Méphistophélès in Gounod’s Faust, Klaufe in Max von Schillings’s Ingwelde, Lothario in Thomas’s Mignon, Dapertutto in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Kezal in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, and Tonio in Pagliacci.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1889 Ulm Stadttheater

1891 Hamburg Stadttheater

1892 Berlin Kroll-Oper

1892 Bayreuth Festival

1893-1899 Munich Hofoper

1900 London Covent Garden

1899-1901 New York Metropolitan Opera

1901-1906 Frankfurt am Main Oper

1902 Vienna Hofoper

1903 London Covent Garden

1903-1905 Zurich Stadttheater

1904 Stockholm Royal Opera

1901-1905 Prague Deutschen Theater

1901-1906 Bayreuth Festival

1907 London Covent Garden

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Still wie die Nacht (Bohm) 42800 717x G&T, Berlin 1902
2. Carmen (Bizet): Euren Toast (Torerolied) 42691 2228B G&T, Berlin 1902
3. Waffenschmied (Lortzing): Auch ich war ein Jüngling 42692 2229B G&T, Berlin 1902
4. Still wie die Nacht (Bohm) 42800 717x G&T, Berlin 1902
5. Siegfried (Wagner): Auf wolkigen Höh’n X50383 xB2801 Odeon, Berlin 1907-06?
6. Tannhäuser (Wagner): Wie Todesahnung 42802 719x G&T, Berlin 1902
7. Freischütz (Weber): Hier im ird’schen Jammertal (Trinklied des Caspar) 1-15406 2058-f Favorite, Berlin 1905/1906
8. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Jerum, Jerum! 42804 721x G&T, Berlin 1902
9. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Schaut her, ich bin’s (Prolog) 42806 G&T, Berlin 1902
10. Rheingold (Wagner): Abendlich strahlt 2-42917 G&T, Bayreuth 1904
11. Rheingold (Wagner): Abendlich strahlt 1-15049 Mpt86-f+ Favorite, Berlin 1904 (late)?
12. Siegfried (Wagner): Auf wolkigen Höh’n 1-15403 2054-f Favorite, Berlin 1905/1906
13. Don Giovanni (Mozart): Champagnerlied 1-15405 2057-f Favorite, Berlin 1905/1906
14. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner): Weit komm’ ich her X50011 XPh1032 Odeon, Berlin 1905-02?
15. Faust (Gounod) Ja, das Gold regiert die Welt (Rondo) Derby 1632
16. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner): Abschied X50007 XPh1027 Odeon, Berlin 1905-02?
17. Lohengrin (Wagner): Dank, König dir 1-15402 2053-f Favorite, Berlin 1905/1906
18. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner): Nur eine Hoffnung X50377 xB2802 Odeon, Berlin 1907-06?
19. Walküre (Wagner): Wotans Abschied 15967 Edison 2-min cylinders, Berlin 1907
20. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Fliedermonolog 2-15018 507-g Favorite, Berlin 1905/1906
21. Zar und Zimmermann (Lortzing): Sonst spielt ich mit Szepter X50006 XPh1026
22. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Prolog X50015 XPh1037 Odeon, Berlin 1905-02?
23. Goldene Kreuz (Brüll): Wie anders war es (Bombardonlied) Mammut 32258
24. Tannhäuser (Wagner): Blick’ ich umher Mammut 32259
25. Rheingold (Wagner): Abendlich strahlt Mammut 32266

GERMAN BARITONE THEODOR BERTRAM (1869-1907) CDR

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