Heinrich Rehkemper

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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

Heinrich Rehkemper sings Count von Eberbach's aria from Albert Lortzing's Wildschütz

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

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 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
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