Reinald Werrenrath (August 7, 1883 – September 12, 1953) was an American baritone

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

singer, who also recorded popular songs and appeared regularly on

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...

in the early decades of the twentieth century. Werrenrath commonly used the pseudonym Edward Hamilton.

Biography

Werrenrath was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behi ...

, the son of George Werrenrath, an operatic

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing 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 low extreme for tenors i ...

born in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

. He studied at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, ...

, and made his operatic debut in 1907 in '' Die Meistersinger''. He also recorded for

Edison Records Edison Records was one of the early record labels that pioneered sound recording and reproduction, and was an important player in the early recording industry. The first phonograph cylinders were manufactured in 1888, followed by Edison's foun ...

in 1907, before a long recording career with the

Victor Talking Machine Company The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidia ...

. He sang on several hundred Victor recordings between 1906 and 1929, both as a soloist and as part of various vocal ensembles such as the Orpheus Quartet and the Victor Opera Quartet.Library of Congress: National Jukebox
Retrieved 15 May 2013 His most commercially successful recordings included "As Long As The World Rolls On" (1907), "Hello Frisco!" (from ''"

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Follies of the ...

of 1915"''), and " Smilin' Through" (1919). Werrenrath made his debut at 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 ...

in 1919, in ''

Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, "Clowns") is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who ...

'', in a cast that also included Enrico Caruso. He also toured widely, and made over 3,000 concert appearances. He was one of the first singing stars to appear regularly on

, notably on radio station WEAF in New York. In 1930, he made a private recording of

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

greetings accompanied by

Harpo Marx Arthur "Harpo" Marx (born Adolph Marx; November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, mime artist, and harpist, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers. In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers Gro ...

and others. National Education Solutions: Alexander Woollcott, Harpo Marx, Reinald Werrenrath
. Retrieved 15 May 2013 In 1932, he became a member of NBC's music staff, and in later years devoted himself mainly to teaching, predominantly at the

Peabody Conservatory The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University is a private conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1857 and opened in 1866 by merchant/financier and philanthropist George Peabody (1795–186 ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. He also ran a regular summer music school at Chazy Lake, New York. He was married three times. He died on September 12, 1953 in Plattsburgh, New York, after suffering a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

while at Chazy Lake. His home on Chazy Lake,

Werrenrath Camp Werrenrath Camp is a historic Great Camp located in Dannemora in Clinton County, New York. It was built in 1928 for opera singer Reinald Werrenrath (1883–1953) as a summer estate. The property includes the main house, a boathouse, an ice ho ...

, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 2010.

References

External links

Reinald Werrenrath recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. Streaming audio
Reinald Werrenrath
on Victor Records
Reinald Werrenrath
on

Reinald Werrenrath
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Werrenrath, Reinald 1883 births 1953 deaths American operatic baritones Edison Records artists Pioneer recording artists Victor Records artists American people of Danish descent 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers