Description

LEO SCHÜTZENDORF (LINDENTHAL (COLOGNE), 7 MAY, 1886 – BERLIN-WILMERSDORF, 18 DECEMBER, 1931)

 

 

 

 

He came from a family in which several sons—Alfons, Guido, and Gustav Schütznedorf—pursued careers as opera singers. Trained at the Cologne Conservatory, he made his debut in 1908 at the Düsseldorf Opera House. He then sang at the Münster (Westphalia) Municipal Theatre (1909–1910), the Krefeld Municipal Theatre (1910–1912), the Darmstadt Court Theatre (1912–1917), the Wiesbaden Court Theatre (1917–1919), and the Vienna State Opera (1919–1920), where he also made a guest appearance in 1922–1923.

In 1920, he was appointed to the Berlin State Opera, where he delighted audiences especially with his portrayals of comic characters. He also appeared in serious roles, including Boris Godunov, Kaspar in Der Freischütz, Sebastiano in Tiefland by E. d’Albert, and various Wagnerian roles. During his tenure, he performed a total of 445 performances in 47 different roles.

On December 14, 1925, he sang the title role in the world premiere of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck at the Berlin State Opera. In 1926, he participated in the Berlin premiere of Prokofiev’s L’Amour des trois oranges, and in 1927, he sang in the world premiere of Kurt Weill’s Royal Palace at the Kroll Opera in Berlin.

In 1923, he toured the Netherlands with an ensemble organized by the Dutch baritone Cornelis Bronsgeest. In 1925, he appeared as a guest artist with the Berlin State Opera ensemble in Amsterdam, achieving great success as Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier. He made further guest appearances at leading German theaters and was a frequent guest at the Berlin Municipal Opera. During the 1924–25 season, he was a member of the ensemble at the Berlin Volksoper. In 1929, he sang Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Zoppot Festival, one of his most celebrated roles.

From 1922 onward, he enjoyed great success as an operetta singer in Berlin. For example, in 1930, he participated in the world premiere of Lehár’s operetta Schön ist die Welt at the Berlin Metropol Theater. When the management of the Berlin State Opera forbade him from performing in operetta—a restriction applied to many artists of the 1920s—he devoted himself entirely to operetta from 1929 onward. This dismissal from the Berlin State Opera ensemble led to depression and a prolonged illness, and he thereafter appeared only occasionally as a guest on the opera stage.

Two days before his death, he performed Crespel in The Tales of Hoffmann at the Großes Schauspielhaus in Berlin. His dark, yet unusually agile voice, combined with subtle characterization and brilliant acting skills, distinguished him in both serious and comic repertoire.

The lives of the four Schützendorf brothers were described in Artist’s Blood: Leo Schützendorf and His Brothers (E. Schützendorf, Berlin, 1943). The brothers even sang together in a 1915 performance of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Bremen City Theatre: Alfons as Hans Sachs, Gustav as Pogner, Leo as Beckmesser, and Guido as Kothner.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Boris Godunoff Ach, ich ersticke (Mussorgski) Recorded in 1924 Grammophon 65816 (419 az)

Boris Godunoff Ich hab’ mein Ziel erreicht (Mussorgski) Recorded in 1924 Grammophon 65816 (418 az)

Der Barbier von Bagdad Es hat auf Erden (Cornelius) Recorded in 1924 Parlophon P. 1946 (2-77234)

Der Barbier von Sevilla Die Verleumdung (Rossini) Recorded in 1929 Ultraphon E 197 (30306)

Der Barbier von Sevilla Einen Doktor meinesgleichen (Rossini) Recorded in 1929 Ultraphon E 197 (30307)

Der Bettelstudent Schwamm driiber (Millocker) Recorded in 1930 Ultraphon E 391 (30442)

Der Bettelstudent Und da soll man noch galant sein (Millocker) Recorded in 1930 Ultraphon E 391 (30441)

Der Wildschütz Fiinftausend Taler (Lortzing) Recorded in 1930 Ultraphon F 725 (30388)

Der Zigeunerbaron Ja, das Schreiben und das Lesen (StrauB) Recorded in 1930 Ultraphon A 684 (LU 15433)

Der Zigeunerbaron Von des Tajos Strand (StrauB) Recorded in 1930 Ultraphon A 684 (LU 15434)

Die Meistersinger von Niirnberg Oh, ihr boshafter Geselle! (Wagner) with Michael Bohnen Recorded in 1926 Parlophone E 10542 (2-89056)

Don Juan Schone Donna (Mozart) Recorded in 1924 Parlophon P. 1816 (2-76767)

Figaros Hochzeit Nun vergiss leises Fleh’n (Mozart) Recorded in 1924 Parlophon P. 1898 (2-7721)

Figaros Hochzeit Will einst das Griflein (Mozart) Recorded in 1924 Parlophon P. 1898 (2-7678)

Martha Ja! seit frither Kindheit Tagen (Flotow) with Josef Kalenberg Recorded in 1927 Vox 04209 (1644 AA)

Undine Im Wein ist Wahrheit nur allein (Lortzing) with Josef Kalenberg Recorded in 1927 Vox 04209 (1655 AA)

Zar und Zimmermann O sancta justitia (Lortzing) Recorded in 1930 Ultraphon F 221 (3038990)