René Kollo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) René Kollo in 1986 | |
| Born | René Kollodzieyski (1937-11-20)20 November 1937 (age 87) Berlin, Germany |
| Occupation | Operatictenor |
| Years active | 1965–2013 |
René Kollo (born 20 November 1937) is a German operatictenor, especially known for hisWagnerianHeldentenor roles. He also performed a wide variety ofoperas andoperettas, and made several recordings.
Born René Kollodzieyski in Berlin, he grew up inWyk auf Föhr. He attended a photography school inHamburg, although he had always been interested in music, particularly conducting. He did not begin to perform (as a self-taught drummer) until the mid-50s. He played in jazz clubs and studied acting with Else Bongers in Berlin. To prepare for musical roles, he studied with Elsa Varena, who quickly recognized that he had an unusual gift.
He signed his first recording contract at 20 and recorded popular hits. He made his operatic debut inBraunschweig in 1965 in three Stravinsky one-act operas:Mavra,Renard, andOedipus Rex. He stayed in Braunschweig for two years, singing most of the lyric tenor repertoire. In 1967, he went to theDeutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, still singing lyric roles.
He was guest soloist inMunich,Frankfurt,Milan (La Scala, inArabella, 1970;Das Rheingold, 1973;Fidelio, 1978; andLohengrin, 1981), andLisbon. He began his now legendary association withWagner and hisHeldentenor roles at theBayreuth Festival in 1969, where he sang the Helmsman inDer fliegende Holländer. The major Wagnerian roles followed in quick succession: Erik in 1970, Lohengrin in 1971, Walter in 1973, Parsifal in 1975, Siegfried in 1976, Tristan and Tannhäuser in 1981. He has since sung these roles at major opera houses throughout the world, including theMetropolitan Opera, where he was seen inLohengrin (1976, conducted byJames Levine) andAriadne auf Naxos (1979).
He has also directedParsifal inDarmstadt in 1986 andTiefland by Eugen d'Albert inUlm in 1991.
He also has sung non-Wagnerian roles, including Hermann inTchaikovsky'sThe Queen of Spades, Florestan inFidelio,Britten'sPeter Grimes, andVerdi'sOtello. In fact, he has an unusually wide repertoire for aHeldentenor. Other tenor roles he sang were that of Count Danilo, inHerbert von Karajan's 1972–1973 recording ofFranz Lehár's operettaThe Merry Widow, withElizabeth Harwood andTeresa Stratas, and Prince Edwin in the 1971 film ofEmmerich Kálmán's operettaDie Csárdásfürstin withAnna Moffo andDagmar Koller.
Kollo has not confined himself to grand opera, but made many television appearances, singing lighter repertoire, including an operetta he composed himself. He has also composed and written text for numerous songs, following in the steps of both his father and his grandfather, who were operetta composers. He retired from singing in 2013 at the age of 75.[1]
In 1967, he married pop singerDorthe Larsen; the couple had a daughter, Nathalie. He has been married since 1982 to Beatrice Bouquet (a dancer) and they have three children, Florence, Magali, and Oliver Walter.
Kollo has made numerous recordings, includingTannhäuser (conducted by SirGeorg Solti, 1970),Das Lied von der Erde (Karajan 1973),Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Karajan 1970, and, later, Solti, 1975–76),Parsifal (Solti, 1971–72, and, later,Herbert Kegel, 1975),Die tote Stadt (withCarol Neblett, conducted byErich Leinsdorf, 1975),The Bartered Bride (with Stratas, conducted byJaroslav Krombholc, 1975),Rienzi (conducted byHeinrich Hollreiser, 1974–76),Der fliegende Holländer (Solti, 1976),Ariadne auf Naxos (Solti, 1977),Fidelio (conducted byLeonard Bernstein, 1978),Der Freischütz (conducted byRafael Kubelík, 1979),Lohengrin (withDunja Vejzovic as Ortrud, led by Karajan 1975–81),Siegfried (conducted byMarek Janowski, 1982),Tristan und Isolde (with DameMargaret Price, conducted byCarlos Kleiber, 1980–82),Götterdämmerung (Janowski, 1983),Die Frau ohne Schatten (withCheryl Studer as the Empress (Kaiserin), conducted byWolfgang Sawallisch, 1987), andDie Dreigroschenoper (withHelge Dernesch, led byJohn Mauceri, 1988). Kollo has also recorded theWesendonck Lieder (conducted byChristian Thielemann, 1992).
On video, two performances of his Tristan can be found: a 1983 production staged at theBayreuth Festival byJean-Pierre Ponnelle (withJohanna Meier as Isolde) and a 1993 production from Berlin, directed byGötz Friedrich (with DameGwyneth Jones as the Irish princess).
