Kieth Engen (5 April 1925 – 2 September 2004) was an American operatic
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
who was a member of Munich's
Bavarian State Opera
The Bavarian State Opera () is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bavarian State Orchestra.
History
The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under El ...
for decades. Although his career was based in Munich, he appeared internationally as a guest singer at major opera houses and festivals and performed and recorded many of
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
's
Passion oratorios and
cantatas
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning ...
, primarily with the conductor
Karl Richter. He was born Keith Sheldon Engen in
Frazee, Minnesota
Frazee ( ) is a city in Becker County, Minnesota, United States. It is the second-most-populous city in Becker County. The population was 1,335 at the 2020 census.
History
The community was originally named Detroit and later Third Crossing b ...
, and died in
Murnau am Staffelsee
Murnau am Staffelsee (often shortend to Murnau) is a market town in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region of Bavaria, Germany.
The market originated in the 12th century around Murnau Castle. Murnau is on the edge of t ...
, Germany at the age of 79. He was given the title of
Kammersänger
Kammersänger (male; ) or Kammersängerin (female; ), abbreviated Ks. or KS, is a German Title of honor, honorific title for distinguished singers of opera and classical music. It literally means "chamber singer". Historically, the title was besto ...
in 1962 and was a recipient of the
Bavarian Order of Merit
The Bavarian Order of Merit () is the Order of Merit of the Free State of Bavaria. It is awarded by the Minister-President of Bavaria as a "recognition of outstanding contributions to the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian people".
The or ...
. In the mid-1950s he also had a brief parallel career as a pop singer under the pseudonym Stan Oliver.
Biography
Early life
Engen was born in
Frazee, Minnesota
Frazee ( ) is a city in Becker County, Minnesota, United States. It is the second-most-populous city in Becker County. The population was 1,335 at the 2020 census.
History
The community was originally named Detroit and later Third Crossing b ...
. He came from a musical family and acquired his love for singing as a young boy. His grandfather had been a conductor and his mother was a singer and singing teacher. He graduated from
Berkeley High School and then went to the
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...
. He studied business administration there without much enthusiasm, but on the side studied singing with Amy McMurray who had trained in Germany under
Lilli Lehmann
Lilli Lehmann (born Elisabeth Maria Lehmann, later Elisabeth Maria Lehmann-Kalisch; 24 November 1848 – 17 May 1929) was a German operatic dramatic coloratura soprano. She was also a voice teacher and animal welfare advocate.
Biography
The fu ...
. After leaving university, he studied German language and literature in
Zürich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
on a two-year scholarship. When he returned to California he sang in local concerts and recitals and worked in a warehouse and as a chorus assistant to save enough money to train as an opera singer in Europe. Engen entered Vienna's
Wiener Musikakademie in 1951 where he studied under
Elisabeth Radó
Elisabeth Radó (29 October 1899 – 3 April 1986) was a Yugoslavian singer and singing teacher from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Biography
Born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which in the days before World War I was still part of the Austro-H ...
,
Tino Pattiera
Tino Pattiera (27 June 1890 – 24 April 1966) was a Dalmatian Italian Croatian tenor, born in Cavtat, near Dubrovnik.
Prior to taking up the repertory for which he became famous, he was notable in operetta. Cervenka, Gottfried (18 April 2006) ...
, and the bass
Pavel Ludikar
Pavel Ludikar (3 March 1882 – 19 February 1970) was a Czech operatic bass who had a highly successful international singing career from 1904 through 1944. He began his career in his native country and by 1911 had arisen at many of the major opera ...
, who also became his friend and role model.
His first name was originally "Keith", but after several years in Germany, he changed the spelling to "Kieth" to conform to German phonetics.
Singing career
Engen made his operatic debut in 1952 at the
Graz Opera
The Graz Opera (German: Oper Graz) is an Austrian opera house and opera company based in Graz. The orchestra of the opera house also performs concerts as the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra (''Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester'').
History
Opera h ...
as Monterone in ''
Rigoletto
''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...
'' and sang various roles with the company during that season, including Zaccaria in ''
Nabucco
''Nabucco'' (; short for ''Nabucodonosor'' , i.e. "Nebuchadnezzar II, Nebuchadnezzar") is an Italian-language opera in four acts composed in 1841 by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. The libretto is based on the biblic ...
''. It was in Graz that he met his future wife, the actress Erika Berghöfer. They married in 1953. At the time, she was a member of the
Burgtheater
The Burgtheater (; literally: "Castle Theater" but alternatively translated as "(Imperial) Court Theater", originally known as '' K.K. Theater an der Burg'', then until 1918 as the ''K.K. Hofburgtheater'', is the national theater of Austria in ...
's company in Vienna. In order to remain near her, Engen spent the next two years in Vienna singing in the American musical revues produced by the
United States Information Service
The United States Information Agency (USIA) was a United States government agency devoted to propaganda which operated from 1953 to 1999.
Previously existing United States Information Service (USIS) posts operating out of U.S. embassies wor ...
and staged by
Marcel Prawy under the slogan "So singt Amerika" (So sings America).
His first appearance at the
Bavarian State Opera
The Bavarian State Opera () is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bavarian State Orchestra.
History
The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under El ...
came in 1954 as Bluebeard in Bartok's ''
Bluebeard's Castle
''Duke Bluebeard's Castle'' (, literally ''The Blue-Bearded Duke's Castle'') is a one-act Symbolism (movement), Symbolist opera by composer Béla Bartók to a Hungarian libretto by his friend and poet Béla Balázs. Based on the French folk legen ...
''. In a March 2000 interview, Engen said that his height had got him the role. According to Engen,
Hertha Töpper
Hertha Töpper (; 19 April 1924 – 28 March 2020) was an Austrian contralto in opera and concert, and an academic voice teacher. A member of the Bavarian State Opera, she appeared in leading roles at major international opera houses and festivals ...
, who was singing Judith in the opera, was a tall woman, and the director insisted on an equally tall Bluebeard.
In 1955, he became a permanent member of company and went on to perform there until his retirement in 1996, appearing 2122 times in over 125 roles of the bass repertoire. His last appearance was as the Gemeindevorsteher in Reimann's opera ''
Das Schloß
''The Castle'' (, also spelled ''Das Schloß'' ) is the last novel by Franz Kafka, first published in 1926. In it a protagonist known only as "K." arrives in a village and struggles to gain access to the mysterious authorities who govern it fro ...
''. In recognition of his accomplishments he was given the title
Kammersänger
Kammersänger (male; ) or Kammersängerin (female; ), abbreviated Ks. or KS, is a German Title of honor, honorific title for distinguished singers of opera and classical music. It literally means "chamber singer". Historically, the title was besto ...
in 1962 and later the
Bavarian Order of Merit
The Bavarian Order of Merit () is the Order of Merit of the Free State of Bavaria. It is awarded by the Minister-President of Bavaria as a "recognition of outstanding contributions to the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian people".
The or ...
.
In the course of his career, Engen sang most of the leading bass roles. In addition to the title role in ''Bluebeard's Castle'' and Zaccaria in ''Nabucco'', these included: the Mozart roles of Count Almaviva in ''
Le nozze di Figaro
''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...
'', Sarastro in ''
Die Zauberflöte
''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...
'', and the title role in ''
Don Giovanni
''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full 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 Spanish legen ...
''; Rocco and Don Fernando in Beethoven's ''
Fidelio
''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...
''; Marke in Wagner's ''
Tristan und Isolde
''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner set to a German libretto by the composer, loosely based on the medieval 12th-century romance ''Tristan and Iseult'' by Gottfried von Stras ...
'' and Hunding in his ''
Die Walküre
(; ''The Valkyrie''), Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis, WWV 86B, is the second of the four epic poetry, epic music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Literary cycle, cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was ...
''; Tommaso in D'Albert's ''
Tiefland'', La Roche in Richard Strauss's ''
Capriccio
Capriccio may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Music
* Capriccio (music), a piece of music which is fairly free in form
* Fantasia in C major (Haydn), "Capriccio", a 1789 piano composition by Joseph Haydn
* Capriccio (Janáček), a chamber music composition by ...
'' and the Music Master in his ''
Ariadne auf Naxos
(''Ariadne on Naxos''), Op. 60, is a 1912 opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The opera's unusual combination of elements of low commedia dell'arte with those of high opera seria points up one of the work's ...
''; the Sultan in Rossini's ''
Il Turco in Italia
''Il turco in Italia'' ( English: ''The Turk in Italy'') is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The Italian-language libretto was written by Felice Romani. It was a re-working of a libretto by Caterino Mazzolà set as an opera (with ...
''; Enrico in Donizetti's ''
Anna Bolena
''Anna Bolena'' is a tragic opera (''tragedia lirica'') in two acts composed by Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto after Ippolito Pindemonte's ''Enrico VIII ossia Anna Bolena'' and Alessandro Pepoli's ''Anna Bolena'', ...
''; Ramfis in Verdi's ''
Aida
''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 De ...
''; Mephisto in Gounod's ''
Faust
Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...
''; and the Doctor in Alban Berg's ''
Wozzeck
''Wozzeck'' () is the first opera by the Austrian composer Alban Berg. Composed between 1914 and 1922, it premiered in 1925. It is based on the drama '' Woyzeck'', which German playwright Georg Büchner left incomplete at his death. Berg attende ...
''.
Although his career was primarily based in Munich, Engen also appeared as a guest singer in other German opera houses and internationally. He appeared at the Bayreuth Festival in 1958 as Heinrich in
Wieland Wagner
Wieland Wagner (5 January 1917 – 17 October 1966) was a German opera director,
and grandson of Richard Wagner. As co-director of the Bayreuth Festival when it re-opened after World War II, he was noted for innovative new stagings of the musica ...
's production of ''
Lohengrin
Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wo ...
'' and at the
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...
in 1962 as Achior in Mozart's ''
Betulia liberata
''La '' (''The Liberation of Bethulia'') is a libretto by Pietro Metastasio which was originally commissioned by Emperor Charles VI and set to music by Georg Reutter the Younger in 1734. It was subsequently set by as many as 30 composers, includin ...
''. He performed several times as a guest artist at the
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...
from 1955 to 1972 and made his US debut in 1961 as Raymond Bidebent in
San Francisco Opera
The San Francisco Opera (SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) based in San Francisco, California.
History
Gaetano Merola (1923–1953)
Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 wh ...
's production of ''
Lucia di Lammermoor
''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...
''. During that season he also appeared there as Count Almaviva in ''Le nozze di Figaro'', Don Fernando in ''Fidelio'', Fritz Kothner 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 ...
'', Varlaam in ''
Boris Godunov
Boris Feodorovich Godunov (; ; ) was the ''de facto'' regent of Russia from 1585 to 1598 and then tsar from 1598 to 1605 following the death of Feodor I, the last of the Rurik dynasty. After the end of Feodor's reign, Russia descended into t ...
'', and Quince in ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
''. Further international appearances included London's
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...
(1956 and 1968),
La Monnaie
The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (, ; , ; both translating as the "Royal Theatre of the Mint") is an opera house in central Brussels, Belgium. The National Opera of Belgium, a federal institution, takes the name of this theatre in which it is ho ...
in Brussels (1963), the
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...
(1963 and 1989), and the
Teatro Colón
The Teatro Colón () is a historic opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acoustics expert Leo Beranek among leadin ...
in Buenos Aires (1967). He also appeared at the
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (literal English translation: 'Florence Musical May') is an annual Italian arts festival in Florence, including a notable opera festival, under the auspices of the Opera di Firenze. The festival occurs between late A ...
and the
Edinburgh Festival
__NOTOC__
This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...
.
Engen took part in several world premieres, singing Emperor Rudolf in Hindemith's ''
Die Harmonie der Welt'' (1957), Alexandre Dumas in
Norman Dello Joio
Norman Dello Joio (January 24, 1913July 24, 2008) was an American composer active for over half a century. Best known for his choral music, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1957.
Life
Dello Joio was born in New York City to Italian im ...
's ''Blood Moon'' (1961), Oceanus in
Carl Orff
Carl Heinrich Maria Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, who composed the cantata ''Carmina Burana (Orff), Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Orff Schulwerk, Schulwerk were influential for ...
's ''Prometheus'' (1968), Senatspräsident in
Volker David Kirchner
Volker David Kirchner (25 June 1942 – 4 February 2020) was a German composer and violist. After studies of violin and composition at the Peter Cornelius Conservatory, the Hochschule für Musik Köln and the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, he ...
's ''Belshazar'' (1986), and the Czar in Penderecki's ''
Ubu Rex'' (1991).
From 1956, Engen performed and recorded many of
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
's works with the
Münchener Bach-Chor
Münchener Bach-Chor is a mixed choir for concert and oratorio in Munich. Performances, international tours and recordings with Karl Richter and the Münchener Bach-Orchester made the choir internationally known.
History Heinrich-Schütz-Kre ...
, conducted by
Karl Richter;
He was the soloist in Richter's first recording of the
Kreuzstab Cantata for bass solo in 1957,
among many cantatas, and he was the
vox Christi
Vox Christi, Latin for Voice of Christ, is a setting of Jesus' words in a vocal work such as a Passion (music), Passion, an Oratorium or a Cantata. Conventionally, for instance in Protestant music of the Baroque era, the vox Christi is set for a Ba ...
(voice of Christ) in both the ''
St. John Passion'' (1960 and 1964)
and the ''
St. Matthew Passion'' (1958),
while singing the work's bass arias in a 1969 recording.
In the mid-1950s Engen had a brief parallel career in Germany as a pop singer under the pseudonym "Stan Oliver". He made several recordings on the
Polydor
Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
label which entered the German charts. These included "Ein Haus in Havanna" (A House in Havana) and '"Das Geisterschiff von Ohio" (The Ghost Ship from Ohio). He also sang under that name in the light comedy films ''
Das alte Försterhaus'' (1956) and ''
Der kühne Schwimmer'' (1957).
Later years
In his retirement years, Engen taught singing and served on the juries of singing competitions.
He died at the age of 79 in
Murnau am Staffelsee
Murnau am Staffelsee (often shortend to Murnau) is a market town in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region of Bavaria, Germany.
The market originated in the 12th century around Murnau Castle. Murnau is on the edge of t ...
, where he and his wife had lived since 1972.
His obituary in ''
Der Spiegel
(, , stylized in all caps) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of about 724,000 copies in 2022, it is one of the largest such publications in Europe. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...
'' described him as inquisitive, secure in style and intelligent.
Ronald Adler, former artistic director at the Bavarian State Opera and longtime friend of Engen, wrote that his personality was marked by unwavering benevolence, kindness, and serene wisdom with a focus that was always on the essential—love of music, life and people.
Discography
Engen's discography includes:
Opera
* Beethoven: ''
Fidelio
''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...
'' (as Don Fernando). Bayerisches Staatsorchester,
Ferenc Fricsay
Ferenc Fricsay (; 9 August 1914 – 20 February 1963) was a Hungarian conductor. From 1960 until his death, he was an Austrian citizen.
Biography
Fricsay was born in Budapest in 1914 and studied music under Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, Ern ...
(conductor). Recorded 1957. Label:
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...
*Janáček: ''
Die Ausflüge des Herrn Brouček'' (as Würfl). Bayerische Staatsorchester,
Joseph Keilberth
Joseph Keilberth (19 April 1908 – 20 July 1968) was a German conductor who specialised in opera.
Career
Keilberth began his career in the State Theatre of his native city, Karlsruhe, joining as a répétiteur in 1925 and conducting from 193 ...
(conductor). Recorded 1959. Label: Orfeo
* Nicolai: ''
Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor
''Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor'', or ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'', is an 1849 opera in three acts by Otto Nicolai to a German libretto by Salomon Hermann Mosenthal based on Shakespeare's play. Published as a comical-fantastical work in thre ...
'' (as Herr Reich). Bayerisches Staatsorchester,
Robert Heger
Robert Heger (19 August 1886 – 14 January 1978) was a German conductor and composer from Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine.
Life and career
He studied at the Conservatory of Strasbourg under Franz Stockhausen, then in Zurich under Lothar Kempt ...
(conductor). Recorded 1963. Label:
EMI Electrola
Electrola is a German record label and subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Based in Munich, its roster has included Chumbawamba, Matthias Reim, Helene Fischer, Brings, Höhner and Santiano.
History
On 8 May 1925, the British Gramophone Compa ...
*
Orff
Carl Heinrich Maria Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, who composed the cantata ''Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Schulwerk were influential for children's music education.
Life
Earl ...
: ''Prometheus'' (as Okeanos). Kölner Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester,
Herbert Schernus (conductor). Recorded 1972. Label:
Philips
Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...
*Orff: ''
Antigonae
''Antigonae'' (''Antigone''), written by Carl Orff, was first presented on 9 August 1949 under the direction of Ferenc Fricsay in the Felsenreitschule, Salzburg, Austria, as part of the Salzburg Festival. Antigonae is in Orff's words a "musical se ...
'' (as Chor-Führer). Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Ferdinand Leitner
Ferdinand Leitner (4 March 1912 in Berlin – 3 June 1996 in Zürich) was a German conductor. Leitner studied under Franz Schreker, Julius Prüwer, Artur Schnabel and Karl Muck.
He also was a composition student with Robert Kahn. Starting as a ...
(conductor). Recorded 1961. Label: Deutsche Grammophon
*Orff: ''Oedipus der Tyrann'' (as Kreon). Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Rafael Kubelik
Rafael may refer to:
* Rafael (given name) or Raphael, a name of Hebrew origin
* Rafael, California
Fiction
* ''Rafael'' (TV series), a Mexican telenovela
* ''Rafaël'' (film), a 2018 Dutch film
People
* Rafael (footballer, born 1978) ( ...
(conductor). Recorded 1966. Label: Deutsche Grammophon
*Wagner: ''
Lohengrin
Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wo ...
'' (as König Heinrich). Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele,
André Cluytens
Augustin Zulma Alphonse "André" Cluytens (, ; 26 March 19053 June 1967)Baeck E. ''André Cluytens: Itinéraire d’un chef d’orchestre.'' Editions Mardaga, Wavre, 2009. was a Belgian-born French conducting, conductor who was active in the conce ...
(conductor). Recorded 1958. Label: Archipel
Oratorio and sacred music
* Bach: Cantatas
BWV 67
The (, ; BWV) is a catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990 and the third edition in 2022.Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV). T ...
,
BWV 108 and
BWV 127
(Lord Jesus Christ, true Man and God), 127, is a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach for use in a Lutheran service. He composed the chorale cantata in 1725 in Leipzig for the Sunday , the Sunday before Lent, and first performed it on 11 February 172 ...
(bass soloist). Münchner Bach-Chor, Bayerisches Staatsorchester,
Karl Richter (conductor). Recorded c.1959. Label:
Teldec
Teldec (Telefunken-Decca Schallplatten GmbH) is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group.
History
Teldec was a producer of (first) shellac and (later) vinyl records. The Teldec manufacturing ...
* Bach: ''
Christmas Oratorio
The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance in a churc ...
'' (bass soloist).
Wiener Symphoniker
The Vienna Symphony (Vienna Symphony Orchestra, ) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna. Its primary concert venue is the Vienna Konzerthaus. In Vienna, the orchestra also performs at the Musikverein and at the Theater an der Wien.
History ...
,
Hans Swarowsky
Hans Swarowsky (September 16, 1899September 10, 1975) was an Austrian conductor of Hungarian birth.
Swarowsky was born in Budapest, Hungary. He studied the art of conducting under Felix Weingartner and Richard Strauss. Jiří Vysloužil ...
(conductor). Recorded 1968. Label: Concert Hall
* Bach: ''
Mass in B minor'' (bass soloist). Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter (conductor). Recorded 1961. Label:
Archiv Produktion
Archiv Produktion is a classical music record label of German origin. It originated in 1948 as a classical label for the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft (DGG), and in 1958 Archiv was established as a subsidiary of DGG, specialising in recordin ...
* Bach: ''
St John Passion
The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (), BWV 245, is a Passion or oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, the earliest of the surviving Passions by Bach. It was written during his first year as director of church music in Leipzi ...
'' (bass soloist). Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Eugen Jochum
Eugen Jochum (; 1 November 1902 – 26 March 1987) was a German conducting, conductor, best known for his interpretations of the music of Anton Bruckner, Carl Orff, and Johannes Brahms, among others.
Biography
Jochum was born to a Roman Catholic ...
(conductor). Recorded 1960. Label: Andromeda
* Bach: ''St John Passion'' (bass soloist). Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter (conductor). Recorded 1964. Label: Deutsche Grammophon
* Bach: ''
St Matthew Passion
The ''St Matthew Passion'' (), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets the 26th and 27th chapters of th ...
'' (as
vox Christi
Vox Christi, Latin for Voice of Christ, is a setting of Jesus' words in a vocal work such as a Passion (music), Passion, an Oratorium or a Cantata. Conventionally, for instance in Protestant music of the Baroque era, the vox Christi is set for a Ba ...
). Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter (conductor). Recorded 1958. Label: Deutsche Grammophon
* Mozart: ''
Mass in C major, "Spatzenmesse"'' (bass soloist). Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik (conductor). Recorded c.1973. Label: Deutsche Grammophon
* Mozart: ''
Requiem
A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...
'' (bass soloist). Orchestra of the
Wiener Staatsoper
The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...
, Pierre Colombo (conductor). Recorded c.1965. Label: Concert Hall
Notes
References
External links
Kieth Engen Bayerisches Musiker-Lexikon Online (BMLO)
Bach Cantatas website
*
Stan Oliverdiscography at
Discogs
Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
(Engen's pseudonym)
* (Engen's pseudonym)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Engen, Kieth
American operatic basses
1925 births
2004 deaths
Musicians from Minnesota
20th-century American male opera singers