Walter Berry (bass-baritone)
Walter Berry | |
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Born | Vienna, Austria | 8 April 1929
Died | 27 October 2000 Vienna, Austria | (aged 71)
Alma mater | University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna |
Occupation | Opera singer |
Years active | 1949–1998 |
Spouse | |
Children | Wolfgang |
Walter Berry (8 April 1929 – 27 October 2000) was an Austrian lyric bass-baritone who enjoyed a prominent career in opera. He has been cited as one of several exemplary operatic bass-baritones of his era.[1][2]
Professional career
Walter Berry was born in Vienna. He studied voice at the Vienna Music Academy and made his stage debut with the Vienna State Opera in 1947. He became a permanent member of the company in 1950, remaining with that ensemble for his entire career, although he undertook frequent guest appearances elsewhere in Europe and in the UK.[3][4]
In 1952, Berry made his first appearance at the Salzburg Festival, where he subsequently performed on a regular basis. While in Salzburg, he collaborated with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in a production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera Don Giovanni with Leontyne Price and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.[5] While appearing in Vienna and Salzburg he interpreted an extensive operatic repertoire which included over one hundred roles. He received high praise for his interpretations of Franz Schubert's lieder as well as songs by Gustav Mahler. Included among his acclaimed renditions of sacred works were: Johann Sebastian Bach's "Passions" and Ludwig van Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.[6]
He made many memorable appearances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s in such roles as Barak in Die Frau ohne Schatten, Telramund in Lohengrin, Wotan in Die Walküre, Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier, Don Pizarro in Fidelio, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, the Music Master in Ariadne auf Naxos and Leporello in Don Giovanni. He sang his last Barak on 18 November 1984.[7][8]
Berry's other signature roles included: Papageno in
Walter Berry married the leading mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig in 1957 and collaborated with her both on stage and in several recordings. The couple were divorced in 1970.[10][11]
Death
Walter Berry died in 2000 at the age of 71 in Vienna following a heart attack. He was entombed in the Heiligenstädter Friedhof cemetery (Part A, Group 1, Number 263) in Vienna.[12][13]
Recordings
External audio | |
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Berry in Mozart's Eberhhard Wächter in 1960 Here on archive.org |
Berry was a prolific recording artist and participated in many highly acclaimed opera recordings, including the classic
Also included among his recorded performances are:
Critics at
Berry recorded on DVD as Don Pizarro, opposite Ludwig, James King, and Josef Greindl; and as Papageno with Pilar Lorengar as Pamina; also as Leporello opposite Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in the title role and Josef Greindl, in a performance in German of Don Giovanni.
Discography
External audio | |
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Berry as Dr. Falke in Eberhhard Wächter and Ljuba Welitsch in the mid 1960s Here on archive.org |
A partial listing of Walter Berry's recordings includes:[19][20]
- Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): Dimitri Mitropoulos conducting the Vienna Philharmonic with Fernando Corena and Cesare Siepi (1956) (Sony)
- Die Fledermaus (Hilde Gueden(1960) (Decca)
- Requiem K. 546 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic with Wilma Lipp (1962) (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Così fan Tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): Karl Böhm conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Christa Ludwig (1962) (EMI)
- Symphony No. 9 (Ludwig van Beethoven): Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic with Gundula Janowitz (1963) (Deutsche Grammophon).
- Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): Otto Klemperer conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra with Gundula Janowitz and Nicolai Gedda (1964) (EMI)
- Bluebeard's Castle (Béla Bartók): István Kertész conducting the London Symphony Orchestra with Christa Ludwig (1966)(Decca).
- Wozzeck (Alban Berg): Pierre Boulez conducting the Orchestra of the National Paris Opera with Isabel Strauss and Fritz Uhl (1967) (Columbia Masterworks)
- The Creation (Joseph Haydn): Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic (1969) (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting the Orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera Munich with Edda Moser and Peter Schreier (1973) (EMI)
- Die Frau ohne Schatten (Richard Strauss): Karl Böhm conducting the Vienna State Opera Orchestra with Birgit Nilsson and James King (1985) (Deutsche Grammophon)
References
- Sources
- Peter Gammond: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Recorded Opera. Salamander Books, 1979. OCLC 5170690
- Richard Miller: Securing Baritone, Bass-Baritone and Bass Voices. Oxford University Press, New York, 2008. OCLC 213386753
- Dorottya Fabian: Bach Performance Practice 1945–1975 – A Comprehensive Review of Sound Recordings and Literature. Routledge, New York, 2017. OCLC 993762315
- Notes
- ^ "Walter Berry, 71, Opera Star Specialising in Mozart Roles" The New York Times Obituary, Allan Kozinn. 31 October 2000.
- ISBN 978-0-19-532265-1
- ^ Allan Kozinn,"Walter Berry, 71, Opera Star Specializing in Mozart Roles" The New York Times Obituary. 31 October 2000.
- ^ The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Recorded Opera Peter Gammond. Salamander Books 1979 p. 237 Biography of Walter Berry, via Google Books
- ^ The Library of Congress – Don Giovanni – Audio recording featuring Walter Berry on loc.gov
- ^ "Walter Berry, 71, Opera Star Specializing in Mozart Roles" The New York Times Obituary, Allan Kozinn. 31 October 2000
- ^ "Walter Berry – Austrian Singer" Encyclopaedia Britannica
- ^ "Classical Music: 17 to Make Debut with Met Opera – Walter Berry" Billboard 17 September 1966 p. 49 Walter Berry in "Die Frau ohne Schatten", via Google Books
- ^ "Walter Berry sings in Die Fledermaus" on archive.org
- ^ "Walter Berry, 71, Opera Star Specializing in Mozart Roles" The New York Times Obituary, Allan Kozinn. 31 October 2000 (subscription required)
- ^ "German opera star Christa Ludwig dies at the age of 93". BBC News. 25 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ Allan Kozinn, "Walter Berry, 71, Opera Star Specializing in Mozart Roles" The New York Times Obituary. 31 October 2000.
- ^ Vienna, Michael Kranewitter (April 14, 2009). "Deutsch: Heiligenstädter Friedhof, Grabmal von Walter Berry" – via Wikimedia Commons.
- ^ "Classical Music – Met Opening Sparks Opera Record Push" Billboard 8 October 1966 p. 54 via Google Books
- ^ "Album Reviews – Bartók's "Bluebeard's Castle" " Billboard 27 August 1966 p. 36 Critical review of album by Walter Berry and Christa Ludwig on archive.org
- ^ "Special Merit Picks – Richard Strauss Operatic Scenes – Walter Berry & Christa Ludwig" Billboard 11 November 1967 p. 41, via Google Books
- ISBN 978-0-7546-0549-2, via Google Books
- ISBN 978-0-19-532265-1]
- ^ "Walter Berry Bass and Classical music | Discogs". www.discogs.com.
- ^ "Results for 'Walter Berry' [WorldCat.org]". www.worldcat.org.
External links
- Walter Berry (Bass-Baritone) – Short Biography
- Discography (Capon's Lists of Opera Recordings)
- Interview with Walter Berry, 14 June 1985
- Berry singing Mozart Requiem with his wife (YouTube)
- As Papageno