Peter Lika (born 1947) is a German

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

in opera and concert, focused on both

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

singing as on

historically informed performance Historically informed performance (also referred to as period performance, authentic performance, or HIP) is an approach to the performance of Western classical music, classical music, which aims to be faithful to the approach, manner and style of ...

Life

Lika was born in

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

in 1947. He began his singing career as a boy soloist with the

Regensburger Domspatzen The Regensburger Domspatzen (literally: Regensburg Cathedral Sparrows) is the cathedral choir at the Regensburg Cathedral in Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany. The boys' choir dates back to 975, and consists of boys and young men only. They perform in ...

. He studied voice in Munich, and won prizes at competitions in there, in Geneva and Verviers. He was a member of the Stadttheater Augsburg from 1972 to 1977, and again from 1980 to 1981. He performed with the Bayerische Kammeroper in Veitshöchheim, a chamber opera where Baroque operas were performed in

. He became known for singing and recording the title roles in Mendelsohn's oratorio's '' Elias'' and '' Paulus'', in Max Bruch's ''

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

'' oratorio, and in Haydn's '' Die Schöpfung'' and '' Die Jahreszeiten''. Lika performed with conductors such as

Kurt Masur Kurt Masur (18 July 1927 – 19 December 2015) was a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Or ...

Peter Schreier Peter Schreier (29 July 1935 – 25 December 2019) was a German tenor in opera, concert and lied, and a conductor. He was regarded as one of the leading lyric tenors of the 20th century. Schreier was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor conduct ...

, Helmuth Rilling, John Eliot Gardiner, Neville Marriner,

Roger Norrington Sir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington (born 16 March 1934) is an English conductor. He is known for historically informed performances of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music. In November 2021 Norrington announced his retirement. Life Norr ...

Sergiu Celibidache Sergiu Celibidache (; 14 August 1996) was a Romanian conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over five decades, including tenures as ...

and Philippe Herreweghe and orchestras such as the

Gewandhaus Orchestra The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...

Bamberger Symphoniker The Bamberg Symphony (German: Bamberger Symphoniker – Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie) is a German orchestra based in Bamberg. It is one of the most prestigious orchestras in Germany. The orchestra was formed in 1946 mainly from German musicians e ...

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenure ...

, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and German radio orchestras. He toured in Europe, Asia and the U.S.. He took part at the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amad ...

, in 1986 in a church concert, and in 1989 in a concert performance of Orff's '' Antigonae'' (as a messenger). In 1991 he sang the bass solo in Mozart's

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

in Brussels. Lika is experienced in

. His repertoire also includes

Lied In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...

er, recording Schubert lieder with

Wolfgang Sawallisch Wolfgang Sawallisch (26 August 1923 – 22 February 2013) was a German conductor and pianist. Biography Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich, the son of Maria and Wilhelm Sawallisch. His father was director of the Hamburg-Bremer-Feuerversich ...

. Lika is married and has six sons, two from his first and four from his second marriage, including .

Recordings

* Bach: '' Matthäus-Passion'',

Gustav Leonhardt Gustav Maria Leonhardt (30 May 1928 – 16 January 2012) was a Dutch keyboardist, conductor, musicologist, teacher and editor. He was a leading figure in the historically informed performance movement to perform music on period instruments. Leo ...

cond., with René Jacobs,

David Cordier David Cordier (born 1 May 1959) is an English countertenor. He made an international career based in Germany, and appeared both in concert and opera. While focused on roles by Handel such as Radamisto, he has also performed in contemporary oper ...

Christoph Prégardien Christoph Prégardien (born 18 January 1956) is a German lyric tenor whose career is closely associated with the roles in Mozart operas, as well as performances of Lieder, oratorio roles, and Baroque music. He is well known for his performances an ...

Markus Schäfer Markus Schäfer (born 13 June 1961) is a German lyric tenor, a soloist in opera, oratorio, and '' Lied''. He has performed with major opera houses and with the ensemble La Petite Bande. He has been a professor of voice at the Musikhochschule Ha ...

, John Elwes,

Max van Egmond Max van Egmond (born 1 February 1936 in Semarang) is a Dutch bass and baritone singer. He has focused on oratorio and Lied and is known for singing works of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was one of the pioneers of historically informed performance of B ...

Klaus Mertens Klaus Mertens (born 25 March 1949, in Kleve) is a German bass and bass-baritone singer who is known especially for his interpretation of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach for bass voice. Career Klaus Mertens took singing lessons ...

Tölzer Knabenchor The Tölzer Knabenchor (Tölz Boys' Choir) is a German boys' choir named after the Upper Bavarian city of Bad Tölz and since 1971 based in Munich. The choir is ranked among the most versatile and sought-after boys' choirs in the world. Histor ...

, La Petite Bande, men's choir of La Petite Bande (1990, Dhm/Sony BMG, 3-CD-Box) * Haydn: '' Die Jahreszeiten'', Sigiswald Kuijken cond., with

Krisztina Laki Krisztina Laki (born 16 September 1944) is a Hungarian coloratura soprano who worked mainly on the opera stage in Germany, with guest appearances in major European opera houses. She has held master classes internationally. Career Born in Érd, ...

, Helmut Wildhaber, Choir of the

Flanders Opera The Vlaamse Opera (Flemish Opera) is an opera company in Belgium directed by Jan Vandenhouwe which operates in two different opera houses in two Flemish cities, the Vlaamse Opera Antwerp at Van Ertbornstraat 8 and the Vlaamse Opera Ghent at Schouwbu ...

, La Petite Bande (1992, Virgin Cla/EMI, 2-CD-Box) * Mendelssohn: '' Paulus'',

Joshard Daus Joshard Daus (1947, Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST ...

cond., with , Elzbieta Ardam,

Hans Peter Blochwitz Hans Peter Blochwitz (born 28 September 1949) is a German lyric tenor, who is known internationally in opera and concert, especially for singing parts in Mozart operas. Career Born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on 28 September 1949, Blochwitz first ...

, Bach-Ensemble of the Europa Chor Akademie,

SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg The Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra (also known in English as the SWR Baden-Baden Freiburg Symphony Orchestra and in German as the Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks) was a German radio orchestra located in the German cities of Bad ...

(1998, Arte Nova/Sony BMG, 2-CD-Box) * Mendelssohn: '' Elias'',

Jürgen Budday Jürgen Budday (born 1948 in Germany) is a German conductor, director of church music and music teacher. He is artistic director of the concert series at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Maulbronn Abbey, of the choir 'Maulbronner Kantorei' and of t ...

cond., with Heidi Elisabeth Meier, Jolantha Michalska-Taliaferro,

, Kantorei Maulbronn, members of the SWR-Sinfonieorchester (live), (2003, Edition Kloster Maulbronn, K&K Verlagsanstalt, 2-CD-Box) * Bruch: ''

'', Jürgen Budday cond., with Birgitte Christensen, Stefan Vinke, Kantorei Maulbronn, Russische Kammerphilharmonie St. Petersburg (live), (2005, Edition Kloster Maulbronn, K&K Verlagsanstalt, 2-CD-Box)

References

External links

* *
Peter Lika (Bass)
Bach Cantatas Website 2001
Peter Lika
(management) kuk-art.com * 1947 births Living people German operatic basses Musicians from Augsburg {{DEFAULTSORT:Lika, Peter