Description

DESIDER ZÁDOR (HORNA KRUPA, HUNGARY, 8/3 1873 – BERLIN, GERMANY, 24/4 1931)

 

 

 

 

He initially worked as a teacher before studying singing under Adele Passy-Cornet in Budapest, and later in Vienna. He made his debut in 1898 at the Stadttheater in Czernowitz as the Count in Figaro’s Wedding. From 1898 to 1901, he sang at the Stadttheater in Elberfeld, and from 1901 to 1906 at the Deutsches Theater in Prague, including the premiere of Cesare Rossi’s opera Nadeya in 1903. He also made guest appearances at the Hofoper in Dresden and Munich.

He achieved significant success at Covent Garden in London during the 1906-1908 seasons and again in 1910, and performed at the Stadttheater in Zurich in 1906 and 1909. He became renowned for his interpretation of Alberich in Wagner’s Ring Cycle. At the Berlin Komische Oper from 1906 to 1911, he notably performed as the black violinist in the premiere of Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe by F. Delius on February 21, 1907, and appeared in the Berlin premiere of R. Leoncavallo’s Zazà (1908). He also received acclaim as the father in G. Charpentier’s Louise.

In 1910, he performed as Pizarro in Fidelio during the Beethoven Fest in The Hague. From 1911 to 1916, he was at the Hofoper in Dresden, including the 1913 premiere of Coeur As by E. Künneke. He was active as a singer and conductor at the National Opera in Budapest from 1916 to 1919. He was engaged by the Staatsoper in Berlin from 1920 to 1924 and made guest appearances at Covent Garden in London again. During the 1922-1924 seasons, he toured North America with the German Opera Company, participating in the American premiere of W. Kienzl’s Der Evangelimann at the Great Northern Theatre in Chicago in 1923 and repeating it in New York in 1924.

From 1924 until his death, he was a member of the Städtischen Oper in Berlin, where he mostly performed as a comprimario and in bass roles. He was married to the contralto Emma Zador-Basst.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1898 Czernowitz Stadttheater
1898-1901 Elberfeld Stadttheater
1901-1906 Prague  Deutschen
1906 Zurich Stadttheater
1906 Berlin Komischen Oper
1906-1908 London Covent Garden
1909 Zurich Stadttheater
1910 London Covent Garden
1910 The Hague Opera
1911-1916 Dresden  Hofoper
1916-1919 Budapest National Opera
1920-1924 Berlin Staatsoper
1922-1924 North America Tour
1923 Chicago Great Northern Theatre
1924-1931 Berlin  Städtischen Oper

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Africaine (Meyerbeer) Wie hat mein Herz geschlagen 042300 2233c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-06-13
2. Aida (Verdi) Doch sage, auf welchem Wege (w. Kurt & Zador) 3-44081 15266b Gramophone, Berlin 1911-01-07
3. Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Ach, mit der Gattin nächtlich zu schwärmen (w. Salvatini, Helgers & Zador) 65642 (B25013) Grammophon
4. Der Kuss (Beethoven) 4-42238 1027ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-05-12
5. Faust (Gounod) 8) Da ich n un verlassen soll (Valentins Gebet) 4-42077 12274u  Gramophone, Berlin 1908
6. Faust (Gounod) 11) Schwerterscene und Choral (w. Knüpfer, Götze, Neuendahm & chorus) 044081 0808v Gramophone, Berlin 1908
7. Faust (Gounod) 24) Nun, Siebel kommt (w. Götze, Jörn & Knüpfer) 2-44374 7288L Gramophone, Berlin 1908
8. Faust (Gounod) 27) Schnell hierher (Valentins Tod, pt 1) (w. Destinn, Götze, Scheele-Müller & chorus) 2-44376 12569u Gramophone, Berlin 1908
9. Faust (Gounod) 28) Valentins Tod, pt 2 042164 0782v Gramophone, Berlin 1908
10. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Arie des St Bris (w. Ensemble) 042299 2232c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-06-13
11. Margreth am Tore (Jensen) 4-42239 1029ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-05-12
12. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Den Tag seh’ ich erscheinen 4-42120 6841L Gramophone, Berlin 1908
13. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Jerum, jerum (Schusterlied) 4-42212 844ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-03-29
14. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Selig wie die Sonne (w. Denera, Arndt-Ober, Jörn & Sommer) 044169 499s Gramophone, Berlin 1910-09-17
15. Rheingold (Wagner) Bin ich nun frei (Alberichs Fluch) 4-42213 845ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-03-29
16. Rheingold (Wagner) Fluch 2-42823 1920x G&T, Praha 1903 (late)
17. Rigoletto (Verdi) Holdes Mädchen (w. Arndt-Ober, Jörn & Zador) Gramophone 044172 500½s
18. Tannhäuser (Wagner) O Himmel, lass’ dich jetzt erflehen 4-42121 6842L Gramophone, Berlin 1908