Josef Tichatschek

Born Josef Ticháček, he showed evident musical talent already in high school in Broumov, where he sang in the school choir. He went to Vienna to study medicine, but soon studied voice instead with tenor Giuseppe Ciccimarra.

He started as a chorister at the Kärntnertortheater in 1830, and soon got tiny solo parts to sing. In 1833, he made his debut as a "real" soloist as Raimbaut in Robert le diable. 1835–37 in Graz and then for another season in Vienna, he was hired by the Dresden Hofoper in 1838 (debut role; Gustave in Auber's Le bal masqué). Dresden quickly became his artistic and personal home; he sang there until 1870. He developed into the first famous Wagner tenor: he sang the title roles in the Dresden world premieres of Rienzi (20 October 1842) and Tannhäuser (19 October 1845). Wagner thought highly of Tichatschek.

Another world premiere sung by Tichatschek was Kaiser Adolph von Nassau by Heinrich Marschner (5 January 1845), under the baton of Richard Wagner! Guest appearances took Tichatschek to London (Drury Lane Theater, 1841), to Riga, Sweden, Holland and Weimar.

Further important roles in his repertory were Tamino, Robert le diable, Éléazar, Masaniello, Fernand Cortez, Georges Brown and Lohengrin.

Reference: Kutsch & Riemens

I wish to thank Helmut Krautschneider for the picture (top).

I wish to thank Lynn Samohel for the picture (bottom).