Sándor Kónya
Sándor Kónya (23 September 1923 – 20 May 2002) was a Hungarian tenor, particularly associated with German and Italian roles, especially Lohengrin and Calaf.
Biography
Kónya was born in
Cavalleria Rusticana
, in 1951. It was also here where he sang his first Lohengrin, in 1953. Some years, he appeared as Alexander Konya.
Following engagements at Darmstadt, Stuttgart, and Hamburg, Kónya became a member of the
La Bohème, and Radames in Aida. His Metropolitan Opera debut took place on 28 October 1961 as Lohengrin. In fourteen seasons at the Met, his roles included Radames, Dick Johnson opposite Renata Tebaldi's Minnie, Calaf in Turandot, another signature role, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Max in Der Freischütz, Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, Cavaradossi in Tosca, and a much appreciated Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, which he sang in a new 1964 production, opposite Joan Sutherland. Lohengrin was once again his debut role at the London's Royal Opera House
, Covent Garden, in 1963.
Gifted with a shining,
RCA Victor
, an aria recital for Deutsche Grammophon (Il Trovatore, Meistersinger, Lohengrin, L'elisir d'amore, Martha, etc.), and a recital of songs by Wagner and Verdi, with Otto Guth at the piano (MCA). He can be heard in a number of live performances, notably as Edgardo, opposite Sutherland. There is one additional recording (Gala) of Der fliegende Holländer at the Met, a live recording on 16 February 1963 under Karl Böhm, Sandor Konya as Erik with George London as Holländer and Leonie Rysanek as Senta – GL 100.728 the CD includes a Bonus Track as Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera – recorded on 20 April 1968 under Thomas Schippers. Konya's 3/14/64 performance at the NY Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in La Bohème, was recorded live and still can be heard on Metropolitan Opera Radio.
Sándor Kónya retired to Ibiza, Spain, where he died on 20 May 2002, at the age of 78.
Sources
- The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia, edited by David Hamilton, (Simon and Schuster, 1987). ISBN 0-671-61732-X
- The Metropolitan Opera Guide to recorded Opera, edited by Paul Gruber (W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1993). ISBN 0-393-03444-5
- Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l'interpretation musicale, ISBN 2-221-06660-X
Münsterland Zeitung nr. 192, 21 August 1958
External links
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