Eberhard Katz

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MGV "Eintracht" Krombach program booklet, page 1, for the opera concert with Eberhard Katz on January 29, 1966

Eberhard Katz (born October 19, 1928 in Krombach ; † May 13, 2002 in Cologne ) was a German opera singer.

Live and act

Eberhard Katz was born on October 19, 1928 in Krombach, the fifth child of Krombach's mayor Friedrich Katz (1887–1957) and his wife Lina. After graduating from primary school in 1943, he completed an apprenticeship as a machine fitter and then applied as a craftsman at the Krombacher brewery , where he was trained as a beer brewer. He stayed there until his first engagement at the Cologne Opera.

Eberhard Katz married his wife Lilli geb. Lührs. The couple had two children who died at the age of 27 and 39.

Katz came from a musical family - his father was an enthusiastic zither player and sang as 1st tenor in MGV "Eintracht" Krombach; his great-uncle Paul Katz was a district choir director, music director and head of the Rheinhausen municipal music club. In December 1946 he joined the Krombacher male choir, of which he remained a member until his death. The then choir director of MGV Eintracht Krombach, Richard Kistemann, gave him his first musical training. Eberhard Katz made his first public appearance in early 1955 in the hall of an inn in Eichen . On November 3, 1956, he made his debut in a concert on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of MGV Liederkranz Hilchenbach. Over the next three years he contributed to a large number of concerts with his clear tenor voice, which also drew the attention of the local press to him. At that time he was known as the singing beer brewer from Krombach .

At the end of 1959, at a performance of Haydn's The Creation in Eichen, one of the soloists, tenor Prof. Walter Witsch, noticed Katz's excellent choral voice. This advised Katz to a qualified training at the State University of Music in Cologne.

Katz asked his employer and from then on he was actively supported by the then junior boss of the Krombacher brewery, Friedrich Schadeberg , who contacted Clemens Glettenberg, professor of singing at the University of Music in Cologne. Katz was accepted into the master class for singing at the university in 1960. The prominent Cologne Clemens Glettenberg, teacher of many important singers, took over his training and led them to stage maturity. Katz received his last professional training from the famous baritone and professor at the Cologne University of Music, Josef Metternich . His studies were financed by the Krombacher brewery by agreeing with Eberhard Katz that he would work four days a week in the brewery and study two days in Cologne. Katz began his studies with the summer semester on May 4, 1960 and finished it on July 24, 1962. At this point in time he was already engaged as a youthful hero tenor at the Cologne Opera . As early as 1961, he took part in a master class for solo singing at Morsbroich Castle . Katz moved with his family from Krombach to Rösrath , where he lived until the end. In memory of his roots, the tenor gave a concert in the Krombach-Halle on January 29, 1966 together with Erna Kluck, Städtische Bühnen Köln (soprano) and Berthold Tripp, Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf (baritone).

After his training as an opera singer, an impressive career began as a tenor at many well-known opera houses in Germany and abroad.

Eberhard Katz was a member of the Cologne Opera House for 35 years ; he had his last performance there on May 23, 1997: He appeared as the ringmaster in Smetana's Bartered Bride .

In addition, he had u. a. an engagement at the Stuttgart State Opera , where he took part in a series of Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss in the role of host. Its last performance in Stuttgart was on the evening of July 5, 1998, when the stage curtain went down for the last time.

Eberhard Katz died on May 13, 2002 at the age of 73 in Cologne as a result of a heart attack. Part of his artistic estate is in the Kreuztal city archive.

literature

  • Klaus Schreiber: Eberhard Katz. From Krombacher choir singer to celebrated hero tenor. Stages of an artist's life , publisher: Siegerländer Heimat und Geschichtsverein e. V., Contributions to the history of the city of Siegen and the Siegerland , H. Zimmermann. Verlag die wielandschmiede, Kreuztal 2003, ISBN 3-925498-76-1 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Vita Eberhard Katz in the invitation to the great opera concert of the MGV Eintracht Krombach with the participation of Eberhard Katz on Saturday, January 29, 1966, 8 p.m.
  2. ↑ Klaus Schreiber: Eberhard Katz , publisher die wielandschmiede, Kreuztal 2003, p. 15.
  3. ↑ Klaus Ulrich Spiegel: Glückauf to master singing! - Servant at the work of art. The likable tenor Eberhard Katz .
  4. ^ Program booklet of MGV "Eintracht" Krombach for the opera concert with Eberhard Katz on January 29, 1966
  5. ^ Tenor Eberhard Katz died. In: Klassic.com. May 17, 2002. Retrieved October 19, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Singer of quality and care: the well-known tenor Eberhard Katz was born 90 years ago . In: Siegener Zeitung, October 19, 2018.
  7. ↑ Communication from the city of Kreuztal, Yellow Villa archive of November 2, 2018.
personal data
SURNAME Katz, Eberhard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German opera singer
DATE OF BIRTH October 19, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Krombach
DATE OF DEATH May 13, 2002
Place of death Cologne