Peter Schreier (29 July 1935 – 25 December 2019) was a German

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

in opera, concert and

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 ...

, 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 The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, Germany. It has a seven-century history and a world-wide reputation. Today, the choir has about 150 members between the ages of 9 and 19, from Dresden and the surroundin ...

conducted by

Rudolf Mauersberger Rudolf Mauersberger (29 January 1889 – 22 February 1971) was a German choral conductor and composer. His younger brother Erhard was also a conductor and composer. Career After positions in Aachen and Eisenach, he became director of the ren ...

, performing as an alto soloist. He became a tenor, focused on concert and

er singing, well known internationally for the

Evangelist Evangelist may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...

parts in Bach's ''

Christmas Oratorio The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of t ...

'' and Passion. A member of the

Berlin State Opera The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...

from 1963, he appeared in Mozart roles such as Belmonte in ''

Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () ( K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's ''Belmont und Constanze, oder Die ...

'' and Tamino in ''

Die Zauberflöte ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that includ ...

'', and in the title role of Pfitzner's ''

Palestrina Palestrina (ancient ''Praeneste''; grc, Πραίνεστος, ''Prainestos'') is a modern Italian city and ''comune'' (municipality) with a population of about 22,000, in Lazio, about east of Rome. It is connected to the latter by the Via Pren ...

'', among others. He appeared at the

Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August S ...

and the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

, among others, as one of few singers from the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

to perform internationally. Schreier made many recordings, especially of Bach's works as both a singer and a conductor, even simultaneously. He recorded many lieder including the

song cycles A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle, of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rarel ...

Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

and

Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

. He was known for intelligent understanding of texts and their musical expression with intensity. Schreier received awards including the

Ernst von Siemens Music Prize The Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (short: Siemens Music Prize, german: link=no, Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis) is an annual music prize given by the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste (Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts) on behalf of the Ernst v ...

Léonie Sonning Music Prize The Léonie Sonning Music Prize, or Sonning Award, which is recognized as Denmark's highest musical honor, is given annually to an international composer or musician. It was first awarded in 1959 to composer Igor Stravinsky. Laureates are now s ...

Early life

Schreier was born in

Meissen Meissen (in German orthography: ''Meißen'', ) is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrecht ...

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

, and grew up in the village of , near Meissen, where his father was a teacher, cantor and organist. In June 1945, when Schreier was almost ten years old, and just a few months after the destruction of

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...

, he entered the boarding school of the

boys' choir. Its conductor

recognized his talent. He let him sing many solo alto parts and created compositions with his voice in mind. Solo recordings from the time (1948–1951) were reissued on

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...

. Schreier was 16 years old when his

voice broke ' A voice change or voice mutation, sometimes referred to as a voice break or voice crack, commonly refers to the deepening of the voice of men as they reach puberty. Before puberty, both sexes have roughly similar vocal pitch, but during puberty ...

, and he became a tenor, as he had passionately wished, because of the several

s – all tenors – in

J.S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suite ...

Passions ''Passions'' is an American television soap opera that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1999, to September 7, 2007, and on DirecTV's The 101 Network from September 17, 2007, to August 7, 2008. Created by screenwriter James E. Reilly and pro ...

and in his ''

''. After he had decided to become a professional singer he took voice lessons, privately from 1954 to 1956, then at the Musikhochschule Dresden, where he also studied conducting.

Career

Peter Schreier made his professional debut at the Dresdner Staatsoper in 1957, as the First Prisoner in Beethoven's ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Op. 72, is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, with ...

''. His breakthrough came in 1962 as Belmonte in Mozart's ''

'', and he also appeared as Tamino in ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...

''. In 1963, he became a member of the

. Starting in 1966, he was for many years an annual guest of the

. That same year he made his debut at the

Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival (german: link=no, Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived ...

as the young seaman in ''

Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was compose ...

'' with

Karl Böhm Karl August Leopold Böhm (28 August 1894 – 14 August 1981) was an Austrian conductor. He was best known for his performances of the music of Mozart, Wagner, and Richard Strauss. Life and career Education Karl Böhm was born in Graz. T ...

as conductor. For 25 years, beginning in 1967, he took part in the program of the annual

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 1969, he starred as The Witch in Engelbert Humperdinck's ''

Hansel and Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" (; german: Hänsel und Gretel ) is a German fairy tale collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). It is also known as Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister. Hansel ...

'', in a CD recording that featured the

Staatskapelle Dresden The Staatskapelle Dresden (known formally as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden) is a German orchestra based in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Founded in 1548 by Maurice, Elector of Saxony, it is one of the world's oldest and most highly re ...

. He performed more than 60 operatic roles. It was important to him to sing the title role of ''

'', the opera by

Hans Pfitzner Hans Erich Pfitzner (5 May 1869 – 22 May 1949) was a German composer, conductor and polemicist who was a self-described anti-modernist. His best known work is the post-Romantic opera ''Palestrina'' (1917), loosely based on the life of the s ...

, not only in Munich but also in

East Berlin East Berlin was the ''de facto'' capital city of East Germany from 1949 to 1990. Formally, it was the Allied occupation zones in Germany, Soviet sector of Berlin, established in 1945. The American, British, and French sectors were known as ...

— a controversial issue at the time in

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

. Schreier was one of few singers from the

to perform internationally, including at the

. He appeared regularly at the

, where he sang 200 performances, beginning as Tamino in 1967, also as Belmonte, Don Ottavio in Mozart's

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...

, the title role of ''

Idomeneo ' (Italian for ''Idomeneus, King of Crete, or, Ilia and Idamante''; usually referred to simply as ''Idomeneo'', K. 366) is an Italian language opera seria by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was adapted by Giambattista Varesco from a French ...

'', Flamand in '' Capriccio'' by Richard Strauss, Lenski in Tchaikovsky's '' Eugen Onegin'', Count Almaviva in Rossini's ''

Il barbiere di Siviglia ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was base ...

'' and Loge in Wagner's ''

Das Rheingold ''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), WWV 86A, is the first of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National ...

''. His Wagner roles also included Mime in ''

Siegfried Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...

''. He recorded

Bach cantata The cantatas composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, known as Bach cantatas (German: ), are a body of work consisting of over 200 surviving independent works, and at least several dozen that are considered lost. As far as known, Bach's earliest can ...

s regularly with the

Thomanerchor The Thomanerchor (English: St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) is a boys' choir in Leipzig, Germany. The choir was founded in 1212. The choir comprises about 90 boys from 9 to 18 years of age. The members, called ''Thomaner'', reside in a boarding scho ...

and 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 ...

conducted by

Erhard Mauersberger Erhard Mauersberger (29 December 1903 in Mauersberg, Saxony – 11 December 1982 in Leipzig) was a German choral conductor who conducted the Thomanerchor as the 14th Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. He was also an academic teacher and ...

, with soloists including

Adele Stolte Adele Stolte (12 October 1932 – 26 September 2020) was a German soprano singer in concert and Lieder, and an academic voice teacher. Biography Born in Sperenberg, Stolte attended schools in Lübeck and Potsdam. She studied voice with Anneli ...

Annelies Burmeister Annelies Burmeister (25 November 1928 in Ludwigslust – 16 June 1988 in Berlin) was a German contralto and actress. Burmeister studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Weimar. She was a member of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin and made severa ...

and

Theo Adam Theo Adam (1 August 1926 – 10 January 2019) was a German operatic bass-baritone and bass singer who had an international career in opera, concert and recital from 1949. He was a member of the Staatsoper Dresden for his entire career, and sang ...

, such as the cantata for Pentecost ''Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten!'' BWV 172, in 1970. He was the Evangelist in Bach's ''

St Matthew Passion The ''St Matthew Passion'' (german: Matthäus-Passion, links=-no), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets ...

'' in recordings conducted by both Rudolf and Erhard Mauersberger, Karl Richter,

Claudio Abbado Claudio Abbado (; 26 June 1933 – 20 January 2014) was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony ...

and

Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan (; born Heribert Ritter von Karajan; 5 April 1908 – 16 July 1989) was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, wit ...

. He recorded Bach's ''

St John Passion The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (german: Johannes-Passion, link=no), BWV 245, is a Passion or oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, the older of the surviving Passions by Bach. It was written during his first year as direc ...

'' and ''Christmas Oratorio'' with

Helmuth Rilling Helmuth Rilling (born 29 May 1933) is a German choral conductor and an academic teacher. He is the founder of the Gächinger Kantorei (1954), the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart (1965), the Oregon Bach Festival (1970), the Internationale Bachakademie S ...

. In June 2000, Schreier left the opera stage. His last role at the Berlin State Opera was Tamino; he argued that he could no longer pretend to be a young prince. He ended his singing career on 22 December 2005, combining the functions of Evangelist and conductor in a performance of Bach's ''

'' in Prague. He kept singing lieder, a genre he had pursued throughout his career, including the song cycles by

and

. From the early 1970s, Schreier was also a conductor with a special interest in the works of Mozart, Bach, and

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...

. He conducted orchestras such as the

Vienna Philharmonic The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It ...

and the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

Personal life

Schreier was married and lived in Dresden from 1945 until his death, in the district of

Loschwitz Loschwitz is a borough ('' Stadtbezirk'') of Dresden, Germany, incorporated in 1921. It consists of ten quarters (''Stadtteile''): Loschwitz is a villa quarter located at the slopes north of the Elbe river. At the top of the hillside is the quar ...

. He died in Dresden on Christmas Day, 25 December 2019, after a long illness. He was survived by his wife, Renate, and two sons, Torsten and Ralf. The funeral service took place at the

Kreuzkirche, Dresden The Dresden Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross) is a Lutheran church in Dresden, Germany. It is the main church and seat of the ''Landesbischof'' of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony, and the largest church building in the Free State ...

on 8 January 2020.

Evaluation

Schreier was an extremely intelligent singer, with sympathetic feeling for the text.

Monika Grütters Monika Grütters (born 9 January 1962) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2013-2021. She has ...

, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, summarised after his death that he was one of the most impressive voices from Germany (""), who represented Germany in the opera houses of the world as a nation of culture (""), remembered as the Evangelist in Bach's Passions, and having written music history in a career of four decades.

Honours and awards

Kammersänger Kammersänger (male) or Kammersängerin (female), abbreviated Ks. or KS, is a German honorific title for distinguished singers of opera and classical music. It literally means "chamber singer". Historically, the title was bestowed by princes or ...

(title conferred to singers of outstanding merit) by the governments of the GDR, Austria and Bavaria, 1963, 1980, 1982 * National First Class Prize of the GDR, 1967 *

Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau The Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau is a classical music award. Since 1964 it has been awarded by the Lord Mayor of Zwickau. Robert Schumann was born in Zwickau. Between 1964 and 2002 the prize was awarded annually, since 2003 bienni ...

, 1969 *

Handel Prize The Handel Prize (german: Händel-Preis) is an annual award, instituted in 1956, which is presented by the city of Halle, in Germany, in honour of the celebrated Baroque composer George Frideric Handel. It is awarded, "for exceptional artistic, ...

of the City of Halle, 1972 *

National Prize of the GDR The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) (german: Nationalpreis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik) was an award of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, ...

, 1972 * Gold Vaterländischer Verdienstorden, 1984^{/sup>
* Ernst von Siemens Music Prize

The Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (short: Siemens Music Prize, german: link=no, Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis) is an annual music prize given by the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste (Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts) on behalf of the Ernst v ...
, 1988
* Léonie Sonning Music Prize

The Léonie Sonning Music Prize, or Sonning Award, which is recognized as Denmark's highest musical honor, is given annually to an international composer or musician. It was first awarded in 1959 to composer Igor Stravinsky. Laureates are now s ...
, Denmark, 1988
* Honorary membership of the '' Musikverein Wien'' (Vienna Society of Music), 1986
* Star of People's Friendship, 1989
* Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music

The Royal Swedish Academy of Music ( sv, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. At the time of its foundation, only one of its co-founder was a professional musician, Ferdin ...
, 1989
* Bundesverdienstkreuz

The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
I. Klasse (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany), 1993
* Member of the Academy of Arts, Berlin

The Academy of Arts (german: Akademie der Künste) is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany.

The Academy's predecessor organization was fo ...
, 1993
* Wiener Flötenuhr

The Wiener Flötenuhr or Viennese Musical Clock is a prize given by the Mozart Society of Vienna (German: Mozartgemeinde Wien) for notable recordings of works by Mozart.
History
The Musical Clock was designed by the sculptor Fritz Tiefenthaler f ...
, 1994
* Georg Philipp Telemann Prize of the city of Magdeburg, 1994
* German Bible Prize, for service in the great Passions and Interpretation of the work of J.S. Bach, 1998
* European Church Music Prize, 2000
* Honorary citizen of the city of Meissen for efforts in fundraising for the city's restoration
* Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach Prize, 2009
* Hugo Wolf Medal, Hugo Wolf Academy, Stuttgart, 2011
* International Mendelssohn Prize of the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Foundation, Leipzig, 2011
* Bach Medal, Bach Festival Leipzig, for interpretation of Bach, 2013
* Sächsischer Verdienstorden, 2016
* Kunstpreis der Landeshauptstadt Dresden, 2016

Discography

The German National Library

The German National Library (DNB; german: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek) is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. Its task is to colle ...
holds recordings by Schreier, including:Recordings with Peter Schreier
German National Library

The German National Library (DNB; german: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek) is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. Its task is to colle ...

As singer

* ''80th Anniversary Edition'', Berlin Classics (Edel) 2015
* Johann Sebastian Bach:
** ''Matthäus-Passion

The ''St Matthew Passion'' (german: Matthäus-Passion, links=-no), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It set ...
'' (Evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:

Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
and arias), conducted by Karl Richter, Archiv Produktion (Universal Music) 1989
** '' Johannes-Passion'', conducted by Hans-Joachim Rotzsch

Hans-Joachim Rotzsch (25 April 1929 – 25 September 2013) was a German choral conductor, conducting the Thomanerchor from 1972 until 1991 as the fifteenth Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. He was also a tenor and an academic teacher.
Bi ...
, RCA Classic (Sony Music) 1998
** ''Weihnachtsoratorium

The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of ...
'', conducted by Martin Flämig
Martin Flämig (19 August 1913, in Aue – 13 January 1998, in Dresden) was a German church musician, and the cantor of the Dresdner Kreuzchor from 1971 to 1991.
Biography
Martin Flämig studied since 1934 in Dresden with Alfred Stier and in Le ...
, Dresdner Philharmonie, Dresdner Kreuzchor, Lukaskirche 1974
* Ludwig van Beethoven: ''An die ferne Geliebte'', with András Schiff

Sir András Schiff (; born 21 December 1953) is a Hungarian-born British classical pianist and conductor, who has received numerous major awards and honours, including the Grammy Award, Gramophone Award, Mozart Medal, and Royal Academy of Musi ...
, piano, Decca (Universal Music) 1996
* Hector Berlioz: 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, ...
, conducted by Charles Munch, Deutsche Grammophon (Universal Music) 2009
* Johannes Brahms: '' Die schöne Magelone'', with András Schiff, Belvedere (Harmonia Mundi) 2015
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
** ''Opera Arias'', Polygram Records 1990
** ''Die Zauberflote

''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a '' Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inc ...
'' (Tamino), conducted by 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 ...
, EMI (Warner Classics) 1987
** ''Der Odem der Liebe. Peter Schreier als Mozart-Tenor'', conducted by Otmar Suitner

Otmar Suitner (German pronunciation: �ɔtmaʁ zuˈiːtnɐ 16 May 1922 – 8 January 2010) was an Austrian conductor who spent most of his professional career in East Germany. He was born in Innsbruck and died in Berlin. He was Principal Conduct ...
, Eterna 1973
* ''Prokofjew – Hindemith'': ''Lieder'', Berlin Classics (Edel) 2004
* Franz Schubert:
** ''Die schöne Müllerin

' (,"The Fair Maid of the Mill", Op. 25, D. 795), is a song cycle by Franz Schubert from 1823 based on 20 poems by Wilhelm Müller. It is the first of Schubert's two seminal cycles (preceding ''Winterreise'')'','' and a pinnacle of ''Lied'' re ...
'' (with Konrad Ragossnig
Konrad Ragossnig (6 May 1932 – 3 January 2018) was an Austrian classical guitarist and lutenist.

Ragossnig was born in Klagenfurt, Austria. He taught at City of Basel Music Academy, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna and the Univers ...
, guitar), Berlin Classics (Edel) 2004
** ''Die Winterreise

''Winterreise'' (, ''Winter Journey'') is a song cycle for voice and piano by Franz Schubert ( D. 911, published as Op. 89 in 1828), a setting of 24 poems by German poet Wilhelm Müller. It is the second of Schubert's two song cycles on Müller' ...
'' (setting for voice and string quartet), Profil (Naxos) 2015
** ''Schubert Songs'', with András Schiff, Wigmore Hall

Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadin ...
Live (CODAEX Deutschland) 2006
* Heinrich Schütz

Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He ...
: ''Johannes-Passion'' SWV 481 / ''Psalmen Davids

Psalmen Davids (Psalms of David) is a collection of sacred choral music, settings mostly of psalms in German by Heinrich Schütz, who had studied the Venetian polychoral style with Giovanni Gabrieli. Book 1 was printed in Dresden in 1619 as his O ...
'', conducted by Martin Flämig, Berlin classics (Edel) 1997
* Robert Schumann:
** ''Dichterliebe

''Dichterliebe'', "A Poet's Love" (composed 1840), is the best-known song cycle by Robert Schumann (Opus number, Op. 48). The texts for the 16 songs come from the ''Lyrisches Intermezzo'' by Heinrich Heine, written in 1822–23 and published as pa ...
'', with Christoph Eschenbach

Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor.
Early life
Eschenbach was born in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland). His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross) and Heribert Ringmann. He was orphaned durin ...
, Teldec Classics International GmbH 1991
** ''Dichterliebe'' / '' Liederkreis'', with Norman Shetler, Berlin Classics (Edel) 2007
* ''Vom Knabenalt zum lyrischen Tenor'', Berlin Classics (Edel) 1995
* Richard Wagner: ''Tristan und Isolde

''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was compose ...
'' (Melot), conducted by Herbert von Karajan

Herbert von Karajan (; born Heribert Ritter von Karajan; 5 April 1908 – 16 July 1989) was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, wit ...
, EMI – His Masters Voice, 1988
* Hugo Wolf

Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf (13 March 1860 – 22 February 1903) was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs, or Lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Ro ...
:
** ''Goethe-Lieder'', with Wolfgang Sawallisch, Ariola Eurodisc 1986
** ''Mörike-Lieder'', with Karl Engel

Karl (Rudolf) Engel (Birsfelden, 1 June 1923 - Clarens, Switzerland, Chernex, 2 September 2006) was a Switzerland, Swiss pianist.

In 1952 Engel was awarded the second prize at the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, Queen Elisabeth competition. ...
, Orfeo (Naxos Deutschland) 1998

As conductor

* Johann Sebastian Bach:
** ''Weihnachtsoratorium

The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of ...
'', (selections) Staatskapelle Dresden

The Staatskapelle Dresden (known formally as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden) is a German orchestra based in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Founded in 1548 by Maurice, Elector of Saxony, it is one of the world's oldest and most highly re ...
. MC, Eterna-Digital, 1985
** '' Johannes-Passion'', Staatskapelle Dresden, Newton Classics (Membran), 2011
** ''Zwei Hochzeitskantaten'', ''Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten'', BWV 202 / ''O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit'', BWV 210), the Kammerorchester Berlin
The Kammerorchester Berlin has been in existence since 1945 and its first director was the conductor Helmut Koch (conductor), Helmut Koch. Already in the 1950s, the orchestra succeeded in making a name for itself. Among other awards it received the ...
, Brilliant Classics (c. 2000)
** ''Weltliche Kantaten'', ''Was mit behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd'', BWV 208 / ''Ich bin in mir vergnügt'', BWV 204, Brilliant Classics (c. 2000)
** ''Matthäus-Passion

The ''St Matthew Passion'' (german: Matthäus-Passion, links=-no), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It set ...
'', Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, VEB Schallplatten, Berlin/GDR, 1984
** '' Messe h-Moll'', Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Philips Classics Production, 1992
*Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
** 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, ...
, Margaret Price, Trudeliese Schmidt, Francisco Araiza, Theo Adam; Rundfunkchor Leipzig & Staatskapelle Dresden, Philips, 1983

Documentary films

* ''Peter Schreier – Alles hat seine Zeit''. 83 Min., directed and produced by Heide Blum. D 2006.

Literature

* Gottfried Schmiedel: ''Peter Schreier für Sie porträtiert''. VEB Deutscher Verlag für Musik Leipzig, Leipzig 1976
* Peter Schreier: ''Aus meiner Sicht. Gedanken und Erinnerungen,'' Ostberlin 1983, 207 pages.
*
* Jürgen Helfricht: ''Peter Schreier – Melodien eines Lebens''. Verlag der Kunst Dresden, Husum 2008,
* Renate Rätz: ''Schreier, Peter''. In: ''Wer war wer in der DDR?'' 5. Ausgabe. Vol. 2, Ch. Links, Berlin 2010, .
* Manfred Meier, Peter Schreier: ''Im Rückspiegel : Erinnerungen und Ansichten'', recorded by Manfred Meier, Wien: Steinbauer 2005, .

References

External links

*
*

Peter Schreier (Tenor, Conductor)
Bach Cantatas Website

(documentary) heide-blum.de2006

bruceduffie.com 10 March 1997
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schreier, Peter
1935 births
2019 deaths
German male conductors (music)
German operatic tenors
People educated at the Kreuzschule
Österreichischer Kammersänger
Bach musicians
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music
Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony
Recipients of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize
Handel Prize winners
Winners of the Royal Academy of Music/ Kohn Foundation Bach Prize
Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin
Ernst von Siemens Music Prize winners
Recipients of the National Prize of East Germany
21st-century German conductors (music)
20th-century German male opera singers
20th-century German conductors (music)
Bach singers
Lieder singers}