Walter Gabriel (singer)
Walter Gabriel (born April 22, 1953 in Koblach , Vorarlberg ) is an Austrian opera singer and writer.
Life
Walter Gabriel is the first born of a working-class family of eight from Koblach. After attending the local elementary school and secondary school in the neighboring town of Götzis , he completed an apprenticeship as a locksmith. After the journeyman's examination, he did his military service in 1973 in Salzburg . Inspired by the abundance of culture there, he moved to Salzburg and, after successfully auditioning at the Mozarteum, began studying opera, tenor as a vocal subject.
The Bavarian State Opera in Munich invited him to audition for the opera studio in 1980 and he got the job. Working with Carlos Kleiber , Riccardo Chailly , Plácido Domingo , Mirella Freni , Luciano Pavarotti , Cheryl Studer , and Wolfgang Sawallisch set the course for further development. Three years later, now married, he was called to the opera house in Essen. After three years of building he resigned in Essen and took up a position at the Bremen Theater . Six years followed in which he sang sixty major and minor leading and title roles.
After guest appearances at home and abroad, the first symptoms of an as yet unrecognized muscle disease became noticeable. Nevertheless, he managed to get a vacant position as second tenor in the Bremen Opera Choir. After two years, during which he met his current wife, the singer Maja Gabriel-Ottenheym , the progressive illness made work in the theater impossible. In 1999 the "retirement" followed.
He had already decided beforehand to learn to compose. After studying it, he decided to write an opera. Since he could not find suitable material for a tragicomic or socially critical opera, he decided to write a book himself and then tailor his libretto from it. However, he was so fascinated by writing that he abandoned his compositional plans and devoted himself entirely to writing.
After the first book “Benefizessen”, the second followed under the title “Scary fairy tales for adults”.
Repertoire (excerpts)
Opera
- Benjamin Britten - Albert Herring - Albert Herring
- EW Ferrari - The Four Ruffians - Filipeto
- Albert Lortzing - Tsar and Carpenter - Marquis of Chateauneuf
- Claudio Monteverdi - The Coronation of Poppea - Lucano
- WA Mozart - Così fan tutte - Ferrando
- WA Mozart - Abduction ad Serail - Pedrillo
- Carl Orff - Carmina burana - Swan
- Sergei Prokofjew - The fiery angel - Agrippa, Mephisto
- Bedřich Smetana - The Bartered Bride - Wenceslaus
- Richard Strauss - Salome - First Jew
- Richard Wagner - The Flying Dutchman - Helmsman
Operetta and musical
- Ralph Benatzky - In the White Horse Inn - Leopold
- Franz Lehár - The Land of Smiles - Count Gustav von Pottenstein
- Emmerich Kálmán - The Csárdásfürstin - Bonuses
- Carl Zeller - The Bird Catcher - Adam
- Johann Strauss - One Night in Venice - Caramello
- Franz von Suppè - Fatinitza - Julian von Golz
- Frederick Loewe - My fair Lady - Freddy Eynsford Hill
Religious music
- Johann S. Bach - Christmas Oratorio - Evangelist and Arias
- Josef Haydn - Div. Masses - tenor part
- WA Mozart - Div. Masses - tenor part
- Franz Schubert - Masses in E flat major a. A flat major - tenor part
Books
- Benefit dinner - story, novel - Verlag Pro BUSINESS - ISBN 978-3-86805-260-2 (BoD)
- Scary fairy tales for adults - short stories - Verlag Pro BUSINESS - ISBN 978-3-86805-259-6 (BoD)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gabriel, Walter |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian opera singer and writer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 22, 1953 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Koblach , Vorarlberg |