Melchior, Lauritz (1890 - 1973)

Naturalized American tenor from Denmark

Lauritz Melchior in Tannhäuser from Wagner (Motisi collection)

Lauritz Lebrecht Hommel Melchior made his baritone debut in 1913 as Silvio in "Bajazzo" at the Royal Copenhagen Opera. He made his tenor debut only in 1918 at the Copenhagen Opera in Tannhäuser.

 

After his success at Covent Garden in 1924 as Siegmund in the "Walküre", Cosima and Siegfried Wagner invited him to the Bayreuth Festival, where he returned every year until 1931.

 

By the mid-1920s, Melchior was considered the greatest Wagnerian tenor of the age, although he was also highly regarded in other heroic roles (Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio, Othello in Verdi). He performed all the great Wagnerian roles, including Tristan over 200 times, on European and American stages.

 

Although Melchior sang in most theaters and concert halls in the Western world during his long career, his name remains closely associated with the Metropolitan Opera, where he sang 519 performances of Wagnerian roles between 1926 and 1950.

 

Melchior also appeared in several films in the 1940s and 1950s, before retiring from the stage in 1955.

Discover the artist's world through various documents: each image opens the door to one of his interpretations, his portraits in civilian clothes, his autographs or press articles about him from the period

Wagnerian roles:

  • Tannhäuser (Wagner: Tannhäuser)
  • Lohengrin (Wagner: Lohengrin)
  • Siegmund (Wagner: Die Walküre)
  • Tristan (Wagner: Tristan und Isolde)
  • Siegfried (Wagner: Siegfried)
  • Siegfried (Wagner: Götterdämmerung)
  • Parsifal (Wagner: Parsifal)

Other famous roles:

  • Florestan (Beethoven: Fidelio)
  • Jean van Leyden (Meyerbeer : The prophet)
  • Radamès (Verdi: Aida)
  • Otello (Verdi: Otello )

Filmography:

  • 1945: Thrill of a Romance (Mr. Nils Knudsen )
  • 1946: Two Sisters from Boston (Olstrom)
  • 1947: This Time for Keeps (Richard Herald)
  • 1948: Luxury Liner (Olaf Eriksen)
  • 1953: The Stars Are Singing (Jan Poldi)