Dezső Ernster (23 November 1898 – 15 February 1981) was aHungarian opera singer who sang leadingbass roles with the New YorkMetropolitan Opera from 1946 to 1963. In 1929, he created the role of Baron d'Houdoux inHindemith'sNeues vom Tage.
Dezső Ernster was born inPécs, the son of acantor, and studied inBudapest andVienna. He made his debut inPlauen in eastern Germany, as Hermann inTannhäuser in the 1924–1925 season. From 1929 he appeared at theBerlin State Opera and theKroll Opera House, where in 1929 he sang in the world premiere ofPaul Hindemith'sNeues vom Tage conducted byOtto Klemperer.[1] In 1931 he was engaged byArturo Toscanini to sing inBayreuth and appeared there as Ritter inParsifal, Reinmar inTannhäuser and Steuermann inTristan und Isolde.
With theNazi rise to power in 1933, Ernster left Germany to live in Austria. In 1938 he went on tour in the United States with the Salzburg Opera Guild and stayed there for two years before returning to Hungary. By that time Jewish singers could no longer perform in Hungarian theatres. However, throughOMIKE, the Hungarian Jewish Educational Association, he was able to sing the Jewish community's Goldmark Hall.[2] In 1944, he escaped on theKastner train, which carried 1,684 Jews to safety in Switzerland.[3]
After World War II ended, Ernster appeared inBasel and at New York'sMetropolitan Opera where he made his debut on 20 November 1946 as King Marke inTristan und Isolde. He went on to sing 175 performances with company between 1946 and 1963. His last performance at the Met was the Grand Inquisitor inDon Carlo[4] During his career Ernster also sang with theSan Francisco Opera, theVienna State Opera and theRoyal Opera House, Covent Garden. He returned to Europe in 1963 and settled in Switzerland. His last opera performance was in Budapest in 1966 when he sang Sarastro inDie Zauberflöte at theMargaret Island open-air theatre.[5]
Dezső Ernster spent his last years inZurich where he died of cancer in 1981, aged 82.[6] His sister, Adelina Ernster (died 1963, New York), was also an opera singer and performed primarily inFrankfurt andHamburg.[7]
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