Description

JUAN LURIA (WARSAW, 20 DECEMBER, 1862 – SOBIBOR, 21 MAY, 1943)

His real name was Johannes Lorié. Born into a Jewish family, he became one of the most notable baritones of his time. He studied under Joseph Gänsbacher in Vienna and Baks in Berlin. In 1885, he made his debut at the Hoftheater in Stuttgart. In 1890, he debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he performed during the 1890-1891 season as Nevers in Les Huguenots, Pizarro in Fidelio, Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde, Alberich in Der Ring des Nibelungen, Gunther in Götterdämmerung, and in the premiere of the opera Diana von Solange by Duke Ernst II of Coburg-Gotha (1891).

In 1891, he went to Italy and achieved great success over several seasons under the name Giovanni Luria. At La Scala, he created the role of Wotan in the Italian premiere of Die Walküre (in Italian) in 1897. In 1894, he appeared in Genoa in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell. He later returned to Germany, performing frequently at the Theater des Westens in Berlin. On November 9, 1901, he sang at the Stadttheater in Elberfeld in the premiere of Hans Pfitzner’s Die Rose vom Liebesgarten. He made successful guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera, the Munich State Opera, and the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. In 1908, he again performed at the Theater des Westens in Berlin before focusing on teaching. His notable pupils included Gotthelf Pistor, Käthe Heidersbach, Elfriede Marherr, and Michael Bohnen.

Tragically, his life took a dark turn. In 1937, he fled to the Netherlands, where he taught in Amsterdam and The Hague. However, after the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, he was interned in a concentration camp. He was deported from Westerbork to Sobibor on May 18, 1943, and died on May 21, 1943, at the age of 79.

Chronology of some appearances

1890 New York Metropolitan Opera Les Huguenots (Count de Nevers)

1891 New York Metropolitan Opera Fidelio (Don Pizarro)

1894 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Guglielmo Tell (Tell)

1897 Milan La Scala Walküre (Wotan)

TRACKLIST

1. Negerwiegenlied (Clutsam) Dacapo D1050
2. O kühler Wald (Brahms) Favorite 1-15398 2026-o
3. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Un nido di memorie 1-15488 2445-o Favorite, Berlin 1907-02-12
4. Rigoletto (Verdi) Deh, non parlar 1-15339 438-o Favorite, Berlin 1905-04
5. Rigoletto (Verdi) Pari siamo 2-15016 26-p  Favorite, Berlin 1905-04
6. Rigoletto (Verdi) Piangi fanciulla (w. Heymann-Engel) 1-19118 1218-o  Favorite, Berlin 1906-01 (medio)
7. Serenade des Don Juan (Tchaikovsky) Dacapo D1042
8. Ständchen (Schubert) Parlophon P725 P7252-725
9. Stolzenfels am Rhein (Hutchison) P472 2-472 Parlophon, Berlin 1911-01
10. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Als du in kühnem Sange 1-15270 321-o Favorite, Berlin 1905-02/03
11. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Blick’ ich umher 1-15476 2431-o- Favorite, Berlin 1907-01-25
12. Tannhäuser (Wagner) O du mein holder Abendstern 1-15256 2025-f Favorite, Berlin 1906-01 (medio)
13. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Wohl wusst’ ich hier sie im Gebet zu finden 1-15271 323-o Favorite, Berlin 1905-02/03
14. Trompeter von Säckingen (Nessler) Behüt’ dich Gott 1-15286 Favorite, Berlin 1905-0203
15. Trovatore (Verdi) Il balen B3568 Beka, Berlin 1910-11/12
16. Trovatore (Verdi) Rings tiefes Schweigen (w. Spiwak) 1074 B764 Homocord, Berlin 1908-06-30
17. Undine (Lortzing) An des Rheines grünen Ufern (Gumbert) 1-15478 2433-o Favorite, Berlin 1907-01-25
18. Wanderlied (Schumann) 05056 Anker, Berlin 1911-12
19. Xerxes (Händel) Welch schattig Grün (Larghetto)  1-15493 2469-o Favorite, Berlin 1907-02-21
20. Zar und Zimmermann (Lortzing) Sonst spielt’ ich mit Zepter 1-15262 Favorite, Berlin 1905-02/03