Wilhelm Elsner (10 November 1869- 26 August 1903) was a

German 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 ...

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 librett ...

tic

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 ...

who had an active international career from 1889 to 1903. Although his initial success was primarily in the lyric repertoire, he eventually became highly regarded for his portrayals of

Wagnerian Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

heroes.Elsner Biography at operissimo.com (in German)
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Biography

Born in

Brno Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...

, Elsner received his training in his native city from Hermann Pfeiffer before making his professional opera debut in 1889 at the opera house of Linz. He remained active at the house until 1891 when he joined

Theater Regensburg Theater Regensburg (also known as the Stadttheater Regensburg, theatre of the city of Regensburg) is a theatrical organization that produces operas, musicals, ballets, plays, and concerts in Regensburg, Germany. The organization operates sever ...

for the 1891-1892 season. He performed at the opera house in Graz from 1892 to 1896, where he notably sang the title role in the 1893 world premiere of

Siegmund von Hausegger Siegmund von Hausegger (16 August 1872 – 10 October 1948) was an Austrian composer and conductor. Early life Siegmund was born in Graz, the son of Friedrich von Hausegger (1837-1899), a lawyer and writer on music. According to Siegmund's ow ...

's ''Helfrid''. In 1896, Elsner joined the roster of principal singers at the

Neues Deutsches Theater The State Opera (Czech: Státní opera) is an opera house in Prague, Czech Republic. It is part of the National Theatre of the Czech Republic, founded by Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic in 1992. The theatre itself originally opened in ...

in Prague where he was committed until his death. His initial parts at that house were lyrical roles like Don Ottavio in ''

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 ...

'' and the title role in Charles Gounod's '' Faust''. He expanded into the dramatic repertoire, assailing a number of Wagner roles like Loge in '' Das Rheingold'', the title role in '' Lohengrin'', Siegmund in '' Die Walküre'', and Walther in ''

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is traditio ...

''. He was particularly loved for his Tristan in '' Tristan und Isolde''. In 1903 he appeared in the world premiere of Cesare Rossi's ''Nadeya''. As a guest artist, Elsner appeared at the Vienna State Opera (1899), the Bavarian State Opera (1902), the

Semperoper The Semperoper () is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the ...

(1902), and the Opern- und Schauspielhaus Frankfurt (1902), mostly in Wagner roles. At the time of his sudden death in Prague in August 1903, he was in negotiations to join the roster of singers at the Bavarian State Opera. He was also supposed to sing the role of Pedro in the world premiere of Eugen d'Albert's '' Tiefland'' the following November.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elsner, Wilhelm 1869 births 1903 deaths Musicians from Brno People from the Margraviate of Moravia Moravian-German people German operatic tenors 19th-century German male opera singers