Jan van Mantgem

It hasn't obviously been handed down what Jan van Mantgem's real profession was. In any case, when in 1942 (at 39 years old), he made his debut as a tenor in Amsterdam, he had never received any formal training, nor did he at any later moment – as you can clearly hear in the above recording... and yet he had a career up to the end of the 1950s, in Amsterdam and at the Holland Festival.

He sang a mix of main and secondary parts, but the main parts clearly prevailed: Don Carlo, Roderigo, Florestan, Max, Walther von der Vogelweide, Erik, Cavaradossi, Števa Burja, Alfred (Fledermaus), Barinkay, Canio, Pedro, Don José, Manrico, Samson, Jeník, Chekalinskij, Alcindoro, Lohengrin.

From 1948 to 1952, he was married to soprano Gré Brouwenstijn.