Theodor Lay
Encyclopedia
Theodor Lay was a nineteenth century German
opera
tic baritone
who was particularly admired for his interpretations of the roles of Richard Wagner
and Albert Lortzing
. He is best remembered today for portraying the role of Baal-Hanan in the world premiere of Karl Goldmark
's Die Königin von Saba
in 1875.
. He appeared in his first featured opera role in the world premiere of Albert Lortzing
's Rolands Knappen oder Das ersehnte Glück in 1849. That same year he became the principle baritone soloist at the Hamburg State Opera
. Over the next seven years he made several appearances in Olomouc
and Brno
in addition to his performances in Hamburg. In 1856 he returned to Leipzig to portray the role of Peter the Great in Lortzing's Zar und Zimmermann
. That same year he joined the roster at the Vienna Hofoper
(now Vienna State Opera) where he sang roles for the next thirty-five years. He notably portrayed the role of Sixtus Beckmesser in the Viennese premiere of Richard Wagner
's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
in 1870. Wagner attended the premiere and considered Lay's performance to be the finest interpretation of that role. Lay had several other successes with Wagner roles while in Vienna and he also portrayed the role of Baal-Hanan in the world premiere of Karl Goldmark
's Die Königin von Saba
in 1875. He retired from the stage in 1891.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
who was particularly admired for his interpretations of the roles of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
and Albert Lortzing
Albert Lortzing
Gustav Albert Lortzing was a German composer, actor and singer. He is considered to be the main representative of the German Spieloper, a form similar to the French opéra comique, which grew out of the Singspiel.-Biography:Lortzing was born in Berlin to Johann Gottlieb Lortzing and Charlotte Sophie...
. He is best remembered today for portraying the role of Baal-Hanan in the world premiere of Karl Goldmark
Karl Goldmark
Karl Goldmark, also known originally as Károly Goldmark and later sometimes as Carl Goldmark; May 18, 1830, Keszthely – January 2, 1915, Vienna) was a Hungarian composer.- Life and career :...
's Die Königin von Saba
Die Königin von Saba
Die Königin von Saba is an opera in four acts by Karl Goldmark. The German libretto by Hermann Salomon Mosenthal, sets a love triangle into the context of the Queen of Sheba's visit to the court of King Solomon, recorded in First Kings...
in 1875.
Biography
Lay began his performing career as a child appearing in stage plays at the young age of four. From 1857-1849 he sang in the opera chorus and acted in plays in LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. He appeared in his first featured opera role in the world premiere of Albert Lortzing
Albert Lortzing
Gustav Albert Lortzing was a German composer, actor and singer. He is considered to be the main representative of the German Spieloper, a form similar to the French opéra comique, which grew out of the Singspiel.-Biography:Lortzing was born in Berlin to Johann Gottlieb Lortzing and Charlotte Sophie...
's Rolands Knappen oder Das ersehnte Glück in 1849. That same year he became the principle baritone soloist at the Hamburg State Opera
Hamburg State Opera
The Hamburg State Opera is one of the leading opera companies in Germany.Opera in Hamburg dates back to 2 January 1678 when the "Opern-Theatrum" was inaugurated with a performance of a biblical Singspiel by Johann Theile...
. Over the next seven years he made several appearances in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
and Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
in addition to his performances in Hamburg. In 1856 he returned to Leipzig to portray the role of Peter the Great in Lortzing's Zar und Zimmermann
Zar und Zimmermann
Zar und Zimmermann is an opera in three acts, music by Albert Lortzing, libretto by the composer after Georg Christian Römer's Der Bürgermeister on Saarlem, oder Die zwei Peter, itself based on a French work entitled Le Bourgesmestre de Sardam, ou Les deux Pierres by Anne-Honoré-Joseph Duveyrier...
. That same year he joined the roster at the Vienna Hofoper
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
(now Vienna State Opera) where he sang roles for the next thirty-five years. He notably portrayed the role of Sixtus Beckmesser in the Viennese premiere of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
in 1870. Wagner attended the premiere and considered Lay's performance to be the finest interpretation of that role. Lay had several other successes with Wagner roles while in Vienna and he also portrayed the role of Baal-Hanan in the world premiere of Karl Goldmark
Karl Goldmark
Karl Goldmark, also known originally as Károly Goldmark and later sometimes as Carl Goldmark; May 18, 1830, Keszthely – January 2, 1915, Vienna) was a Hungarian composer.- Life and career :...
's Die Königin von Saba
Die Königin von Saba
Die Königin von Saba is an opera in four acts by Karl Goldmark. The German libretto by Hermann Salomon Mosenthal, sets a love triangle into the context of the Queen of Sheba's visit to the court of King Solomon, recorded in First Kings...
in 1875. He retired from the stage in 1891.
Sources
- Biography of Theodor Lay on Operissimo.com (in German). Accessed 2 February 2009.