Karl Wauer

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Johann Gottfried Karl Wauer (born January 26, 1783 in Berlin , † July 13, 1857 in Freienwalde an der Oder ) was a German opera singer ( bass ) and theater actor .

Life

Karl Wauer comes from a family of craftsmen; his father was a master saddler . The organist of the Sophienkirche , Christian Rebenstein , recognized his musical abilities early on and soon appointed him for the student choir. Through Rebenstein's mediation, he was also able to gain experience in Adelungs Gesang-Verein . Through these experiences he learned so much - mostly self-taught - that he was able to apply for the choir of the Italian Opera in his hometown as a teenager . At the same time, he completed an apprenticeship as a saddler in his father's workshop.

Wauer found a sponsor in the singer Johann Christian Franz , with whose help he was later accepted into the choir of the royal court theater . Through Franz it was also possible for him, parallel to his tasks at the theater, to perfect his education by teaching at the grammar school for the Gray Monastery . On the occasion of the staging of Karl Friedrich Hensler's opera The Nymph of the Danube on February 3, 1802, Wauer was officially on stage for the first time.

As a replacement for the bassist Josef Karel Ambrož , Wauer sang the role of "Oransky" with great success in 1807 and was then hired by August Wilhelm Iffland for the court theater. Until 1835 he appeared mostly as a singer; in Berlin, Potsdam and many guest appearances throughout Prussia . When he got a lifetime contract that same year, he gave up singing in favor of acting.

At the world premiere of ETA Hoffmann's opera Undine on August 3, 1816, Wauer sang the role of “Kühleborn”. Wauer also performed successfully in the world premieres of Carl Maria von Weber's opera Der Freischütz on June 18, 1821 (as "Eremit") and Carl Blum's opera Prinz Riquet with the Tuft of Hair in 1824 (as "Hofmeister").

In autumn 1850 Wauer gave his last performance - as Gottschalk in Käthchen von Heilbronn and with effect from December 1, 1850 he was retired. At the request of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. Wauer's 50th stage anniversary was celebrated on February 3, 1852 in the royal court theater.

He and his family settled in Freienwalde on the Oder on December 9th of the same year. Karl Wauer died there at the age of 74 and found his final resting place there.

He played 601 roles and sang 156 major or minor operatic roles.

The writer Minna Wauer (1815–1866) and the actor, reciter and writer Hugo Wauer (1828–1912) are children of Karl Wauer.

“Wauer, whose personality was denied any noble demeanor, trained the figures related to his nature to perfection: rough citizens, peasants, sailors, corporals, servants, squires, etc. Touching loyalty, furious passion, happy cheerfulness, contagious laughter, drunkenness every nuance: from the pleasant wine mood to the blunted brandy, was at his command with deceptive truth and was excellently supported by his stout, corpulent figure "

- Eduard Devrient : History of German acting

Roles (selection)

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Music by Ferdinand Kauer ; freely based on Nicolas Brazier (1783–1838).
personal data
SURNAME Wauer, Karl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wauer, Johann Gottfried Karl (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German opera singer (bass) and theater actor
DATE OF BIRTH January 26, 1783
PLACE OF BIRTH Berlin
DATE OF DEATH July 13, 1857
Place of death Freienwalde on the Oder