Theo Altmeyer

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Theodor Daniel Altmeyer (born March 16, 1931 in Eschweiler , Rhineland , † July 28, 2007 in Hanover ) was a German opera singer ( tenor ) and singing teacher .

Life

Theo Altmeyer studied singing at the Cologne University of Music from 1953 to 1956 . His special talent as an oratorio singer was discovered even then . The WDR engaged him and a production series of Bach cantatas and sacred music began. For many years it became an integral part of the Sunday “spiritual music” for listeners at WDR. 1955 laureate at the radio station singing competition.

In 1956 Altmeyer was signed to the Städtische Oper Berlin , and from the 1960/1961 season he was the first lyrical tenor at the State Theater in Hanover . After the premiere of his Tamino in the opera Die Zauberflöte , all of the great Mozart roles followed. In addition to his vocal flexibility, he also benefited from his comedic talent for the performances of the game operas (including Rossini and Lortzing ) . His hilarious Albert Herring in the Britten opera of the same name or Offenbach's Orpheus in the underworld will not be forgotten in Hanover . His Palestrina by Hans Pfitzner became a brilliant role . In this role he also appeared at the Stuttgart State Opera and the Vienna State Opera . As a lieder singer, he worked with Sebastian Peschko and Fritz Neumeyer .

Sacred music remained the heart of his work . He was one of the most important oratorio singers of his time. With his expressive voice, exemplary in the style of the lecture, he mastered a repertoire that ranged from medieval masters to modern times, and culminated in the interpretation of Bach. For him, singing the Bach Passions, oratorios and cantatas always meant proclamation of the biblical word at the same time.

In 1974 he began teaching as a professor at the Hanover University of Music . Dantes Diwiak is one of his students . Until 1996 he played with an international group for early music "La Morra".

literature

Discography (selection)

Johann Sebastian Bach

Christmas Oratorio
St. John Passion
St. Matthew Passion
sacred and secular cantatas
Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Magnificat

Ludwig van Beethoven

Great Mass in C major

Heinrich Schütz

Cantatas and Motets

Dietrich Buxtehude

The Last Judgement

Claudio Monteverdi

Vespers of Mary 1610

Norbert Schultze

The cold heart
Black Peter

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Altmeyer, Theo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Altmeyer, Theodor Daniel (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German opera singer (tenor) and singing teacher
DATE OF BIRTH March 16, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Eschweiler , Rhineland
DATE OF DEATH July 28, 2007
Place of death Hanover