Karel Burian

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Karel Burian

Karel Burian , also Carl Burrian and Karl Burian (born January 12, 1870 in Rousínov , Austria-Hungary , † September 25, 1924 in Senomaty , Czechoslovakia ) was a Bohemian - Czech opera singer with a tenor voice .

Life and loved ones

Karel Burian was the son of a carpenter, brother of the singer Emil Burian (1876-1926) and uncle of his son Emil František Burian (1904-1959), a director, playwright of the radical left and cultural politician, and graduated from the academic high school in as a gifted student Prague, then studied law at the Charles University in Prague from 1889 to 1891 and at the same time took vocal training at the Prague Music Academy as a student of Morice Wallerstein.

Karel Burian began his singing career as a tenor in Brno in 1891 , where he sang Jeník in Smetana's opera Dalibor . In 1892 he tried in vain to get a role in the National Theater in Prague, then made a career abroad and celebrated successes in Reval (1882/1893), Aachen (1893), Cologne (1894/1896) Hanover (1896/1898) and Hamburg (1898) / 1900).

In the 1900/1901 season he enjoyed great success at the National Theater in Prague , then at the Budapest Court Opera and was the first hero tenor at the Dresden Court Opera from 1902 to 1910 . There he sang King Herod mainly in works by Richard Wagner and in the world premiere of the opera Salome by Richard Strauss . This was followed by appearances with Ema Destinnová in Berlin ; then he made guest appearances at the Court Opera in Vienna (1912/1913), at the Deutsches Theater (1915) and at the National Theater in Prague (1918/1919 and 1922). He gave numerous guest appearances at home and abroad a. a. at the Metropolitan Opera in New York , including in performances conducted by Gustav Mahler and Arturo Toscanini .

After 1919 Karel Burian fell ill with the vocal cords, and returned briefly to the stage in 1922. On a tour through Slovakia he fell seriously ill and spent a few weeks in the hospital. He died in his home parish at the age of 54.

Appreciation

Karel Burian had a full, beautiful, noble tenor voice that easily slides into the register of the baritone . He was not only an excellent singer, but also a very good actor. He sang roles of heroes in six different languages, but also lyrical texts. After appearing in the Metropolitan Opera , he was referred to as the "Czech Caruso". Enrico Caruso himself said of him: “Burian can sing everything, I only sing something.” With great empathy, he also played roles from Bedřich Smetana's operas.

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Burian, Karel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Burrian, Carl
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bohemian-Czech opera singer
DATE OF BIRTH January 12, 1870
PLACE OF BIRTH Rousínov
DATE OF DEATH September 25, 1924
Place of death Senomaty