He first studied voice in Freiberg (Saxony), but then took voice lessons from Lothar Wallerstein in Prague and Josef von
Manowarda in Vienna.
He was first a chorister: in Ratibor 1933/34, Greifswald (1934/35), then at the State Opera Berlin, where he was promoted to
soloist in 1937. The same year, he sang at the Bayreuth Festival (one of the comprimario knights in Parsifal).
His next engagements were in Krefeld (1939–44), Rostock (1945–48), and eventually in Leipzig (1948–69).
Originally a lyrical tenor (Alfredo, Lyonel, Faust), he later switched to roles like Riccardo, Alvaro, Radames or Turiddu. In the
last period of his career, he became a Wagnerian: Erik, Rienzi, Tannhäuser, Parsifal, Siegmund, both Siegfrieds, Tristan,
but also Otello, Canio or Herodes.
It seems that there are no studio recordings of his voice.
Reference: Kutsch & Riemens
