Heinrich Rehkemper
Heinrich Rehkemper (born May 23, 1894 in Schwerte ; † December 30, 1949 in Munich ) was a German opera singer ( baritone ).
Life
Heinrich Rehkemper was initially a mechanical engineer. An industrialist from Hagen sponsored him so that he could study at the Hagen Conservatory and then continue his musical training in Düsseldorf and Munich . Rehkemper got his first engagement at the court theater in Coburg . As his popularity grew, he received numerous offers and signed a contract with the Württemberg State Theater in Stuttgart - after which he went to the Munich State Opera . Rehkemper was one of the most famous song interpreters of his time. He inspired the composer Richard Strauss on a trip to Scandinavia together . Rehkemper later sang under Karl Böhm and Hans Knappertsbusch . A high point of his career was the performance of the romantic Singspiel "The Lockende Flamme" in 1933 in the Berlin Theater des Westens . Stood by Eduard Künneke , the composer of the piece, also on the podium - Rehkemper sang the "Hoffmann". Rehkemper also played Amfortas in Parsifal and Wolfram in Tannhäuser . Since he had a “Jewish” wife, he played with special permission.
A serious illness meant the end of the stage career of the great baritone. From 1940 to 1945 Rehkemper worked as a singing teacher at the Salzburg Mozarteum in the training of young people. He died four years later in Munich of a heart condition and was buried in the Munich forest cemetery.
Voice characteristics
Rehkemper's baritone voice was characterized by great agility, very clear diction and a slightly appealing treble. As a so-called “cavalier baritone” he was predestined for the roles in German opera.
The label preiser records released a whole series of recordings with Heinrich Rehkemper in its Lebendige Past series.
literature
- KJ Kutsch , Leo Riemens : Large singer lexicon . Unchanged edition. KG Saur, Bern, 1993, second volume M – Z, Sp. 2424 f., ISBN 3-907820-70-3
- Alfred Hintz: From the fairytale rise of Heinrich Rehkemper: the stage star is almost forgotten in Schwerte. In: Jahrbuch / Kreis Unna / Ed .: Kreis Unna, the district administrator. - Unna. - Vol. 26 (2005), pp. 68-73
Web links
- Literature by and about Heinrich Rehkemper in the catalog of the German National Library
- Heinrich Rehkemper in the Bavarian Musicians' Lexicon Online (BMLO)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cf. Ernst Klee : Das Kulturlexikon zum Third Reich. Who was what before and after 1945. Completely revised edition. Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2009, ISBN 978-3-596-17153-8 , p. 432.
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Rehkemper, Heinrich |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German opera singer (baritone) |
DATE OF BIRTH | May 23, 1894 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Swords |
DATE OF DEATH | December 30, 1949 |
Place of death | Munich |