Joseph Schwarz (singer)

Joseph Schwarz with his wife

Joseph Schwarz (born October 10, 1880 in Riga , † November 10, 1926 in Berlin ) was a Latvian-German opera singer ( baritone ).

Life

Joseph Schwarz was one of ten children of Jewish parents and grew up in poor conditions. He learned the tailoring trade. After his voice was discovered, he was allowed to study with Adolf Robinson in Brno thanks to wealthy patrons .

He made his debut in Linz in 1900 , then toured Europe with great success and returned to his hometown Riga. From 1906 he worked at the site of the Imperial Court Opera dialed Hans Melms (1869-1941) at the Vienna Volksoper , 1909 he was permanent ensemble member of the Vienna Court Opera , where he also as a partner of Enrico Caruso celebrated phenomenal success. After his contract in Vienna expired , he moved to the Royal Opera in Berlin in 1915. In 1921 he also performed in the United States of America. Joseph Schwarz became a darling of the audience not only because of his beautiful voice, but also because of his outstanding acting talent.

Mausoleum in the Jewish cemetery

From 1925 onwards, his voice deteriorated due to alcohol problems. In 1926 Joseph Schwarz died in Berlin of a kidney disease. His mausoleum with the inscription "Lord, you are my refuge for and for" is located in the Weissensee Jewish Cemetery in Berlin. It offered refuge to persecuted Jews during the Nazi regime.

literature

• Joseph Walk (ed.): Short biographies on the history of the Jews 1918–1945. Edited by the Leo Baeck Institute, Jerusalem. Saur, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-598-10477-4 .