Josef Witt

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The Munich State Opera around 1900, where Josef Witt made his debut in 1920
The old Dortmund theater, where Witt was engaged from 1928–1929
The old Cologne Opera House on Habsburgerring, where Josef Witt worked from 1929–34
Entrance portal of the Vienna State Opera, where Josef Witt had been employed since 1937
Former main building of the music academy
Mimi Coertse, one of Witt's well-known singing students, in the foyer of the Johannesburg Opera House with her portrait bust

Josef Witt (born May 17, 1901 in Munich ; † January 3, 1994 in Vienna ) was an Austrian opera singer ( tenor ) and singing teacher .

Life

He studied in Munich at the Royal Academy of Music and made his debut in 1920 at the Munich State Opera , where he was a volunteer until 1923. Josef Witt performed in numerous German cities, for example in Stettin (1923–1924), Breslau (1924–1927), Karlsruhe (1927–1929), Dortmund (1928–1929), Cologne (1929–1934) and Braunschweig (1934– 1938)

Important roles and premieres up to 1938

As early as 1923 he played the leading role in Hans Gál's opera “Die heilige Ente” as Kuli Yang in Düsseldorf. In 1927 he appeared in the world premiere of Bertolt Brecht's teaching piece on Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic in a composition by Kurt Weill and Paul Hindemith . In 1929 he sang the role of the “fallen” in the didactic play by Hindemith and Brecht. In 1930 he sang Kalaf in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot with the famous Eva Turner as a guest at the Frankfurt Opera . In 1934 he appeared in the first performance of Stravinski's Persephone . In addition to classical opera roles, Josef Witt was particularly committed to new music .

Engagement at the Vienna State Opera

In 1937 Josef Witt was employed at the Vienna State Opera . His repertoire included Hans Pfitzner's opera Palestrina , for example in a production by Otto Erhart at the State Opera in 1937, in which he sang the role of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (heroic tenor). In 1956 he staged the opera himself in the Redoutensaal. In 1947 he played Robespierre in Gottfried von Einems Dantons Tod . He appeared in the Magic Flute and staged various operas, around 1953 Salome in the Theater an der Wien. Until 1955 he worked at the State Opera, where he was last heard as the first priest in Mozart's Magic Flute. In 1960 he received the Mozart Medal from the Mozart Community in Vienna . In 1971 Josef Witt was made an honorary member of the State Opera .

Guest performances

During his time in Vienna, Josef Witt made guest appearances at various renowned houses and at international festivals. He appeared regularly at the Salzburg Festival . In 1942 and 1948, for example, he performed Basilio in Figaro's wedding , and in 1947 Robespierre in the world premiere of the opera Dantons Tod by Gottfried von Eine . At La Scala in Milan he sang Aegisth in the opera Elektra by Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal ( libretto ). During a guest performance by the Vienna Opera in 1953 at the Opéra National de Paris , he sang again Don Basilio.

Teaching

He taught singing at the Academy for Music and Performing Arts , today's "University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna". Successful students included Norman Bailey (bass baritone), Walter Berry (bass baritone), Mimi Coertse , soprano , the first internationally successful opera singer from Africa, Ernst Gutstein (baritone), William Blankenship and Hans van Heerden .

Recordings

  • Great Mozart Singers Vol. 1 (opera arias 1922–1942), Figaro's wedding with the Vienna Philharmonic, audio CD (July 4, 1995), label: Orfeo d'Or
  • Verdi: Macbeth (complete recording) (Vienna 1943), label: Preiser; Performers: Ahlersmeyer, Mathieu (Macbeth). Alsen, Herbert (Banquo). Höngen, Elisabeth (Lady Macbeth). Boettcher, Else (chambermaid). Witt, Josef (MacDuff). Franter, Willi (Malcolm). Vienna State Opera / Choir. Vienna State Opera / Orchestra. Böhm, Karl (Dir)
  • Verdi: Othello (German complete recording 1944), audio CD (January 1, 1997), label: Preiser, conducted by Karl Böhm, interpreters: Ralf, Torsten (Othello). Schöffler, Paul (Iago). Witt, Josef (Cassio). Konetzni, Hilde (Desdemona). Nikolaidi, Elena (Emilia). Klein, Peter (Rodrigo) ... Vienna State Opera / Choir. Vienna State Opera / Orchestra. Böhm, Karl (Dir)
  • Edition Wiener Staatsoper Live, Vol. 8: Giuseppe Verdi: Un ballo in maschera / Aida / Falstaff, audio double CD (23 June 1994), conductors: Karl Böhm, Vittorio Gui, Clemens Krauss, label: Koch International, with the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, Choir of the Vienna State Opera
  • Edition Wiener Staatsoper Live Vol. 21, audio double CD (February 23, 1995), label: Koch International
  • Strauss-Primadonnen, audio CD (November 1, 1999), double CD, label: Sony Music
  • Karajan Edition (Karajan in Vienna Vol. 1-9 and bonus CD), audio CD (May 16, 1997), 10 CDs, label: EMI
  • Richard Strauss, Salome, Edition Wiener Staatsoper Live Vol. 3, double audio CD (April 20, 1994), label: Koch International, with the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera
  • R. Strauss: Salome, conductor: Herbert von Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic, Ljuba Welitsch, Gertrud Schuster, Josef Witt
  • Pfitzner: Palestrina, with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Choir, conducted by Rudolf Moralt
  • Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (complete recording 1944), audio CD (January 1, 2000), 4 CDs, label: Preiser, conducted by Karl Böhm, interpreter: Schöffler, Paul (Sachs). Alsen, Herbert (Pogner). Dermota, Anton (birdsong). Madin, Viktor (nightingale / night watchman). Kunz, Erich (Beckmesser). Krenn, Fritz (Kothner). Maikl, Georg (anger). Wernigk, William (Moser). Muzzarelli, Alfred (Ortel). Witt, Josef (Eisslinger). Jerger, Alfred (Black). Rus, Marjan (Foltz). Seider, August (Stolzing). Klein, Peter (David). Seefried, Irmgard (Eva). Schürhoff, Else (Magdalena). Vienna State Opera Choir. Rossmayer, Richard (choir studio). Wiener Philharmoniker.

publication

  • Josef Witt: My way to Mozart. Mozart Community Vienna 1913 - 1963, Vienna 1964, volume / source: Mozart Community Vienna 1913 - 1963, pp. 164ff.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Opera, Volume 45, Issues 1–6, Page 556 Google ; Years according to: KJ Kutsch; Leo Riemens: Large song dictionary.
  2. ↑ op. 15 (1920/21)
  3. ↑ cf. Klaus-Dieter Krabiel : The Lindberghflug / The flight of the Lindberghs / The ocean flight. P. 221; in: Jan Knopf: Brecht-Handbuch Vol. 1 "Pieces", Stuttgart (Metzler) 2001 (new edition)
  4. ↑ cf. Klaus-Dieter Krabiel : Lesson / The Baden lesson on consent. P. 233; in: Jan Knopf: Brecht-Handbuch Vol. 1 "Pieces", Stuttgart (Metzler) 2001 (new edition)
  5. ^ Opera, Volume 45, Issues 1-6, Page 556
  6. ↑ according to the great song dictionary by KJ Kutsch; Leo Riemens only in 1938
  7. ^ Opera, Volume 45, Issues 1-6, Page 556
  8. ^ Gottfried von Eine, Opus 6, Dantons Tod, opera in two parts (six pictures) after Georg Büchner, world premiere on August 6, 1947; Salzburg Festival [1]
  9. ^ Inscription Deutschordenshof, Singerstraße: Josef Witt 1960 (accessed June 10, 2014)
  10. ↑ cf. Large song dictionary by KJ Kutsch; Leo belt
personal data
SURNAME Witt, Josef
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian opera singer (tenor) and singing teacher
DATE OF BIRTH May 17, 1901
PLACE OF BIRTH Munich
DATE OF DEATH January 3, 1994
Place of death Vienna