Plaschke, Friedrich (real name, Bedrich Plaške)

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Plaschke, Friedrich (real name, Bedřich Plaške)

Plaschke, Friedrich (real name, Bedřich Plaške) , Czech bass-baritone; b. Jaroměr, Jan. 7, 1875; d. Prague, Nov. 20, 1951. He studied with Leontine von Döttcher and Ottilie Sklenâř-Mala in Prague, and then with Karl Scheidemantel in Dresden. He made his operatic debut with the Dresden Court (later State) Opera as the Herald in Lohengrin in 1900. He was on its roster until 1939, and during his tenure there created the following roles in operas by Richard Strauss: Pöschel in Feuersnot, the 1st Nazarene in Salome, Da-Ud in Die ägyptische Helena, Count Waldner in Arabella, and Sir Morosus in Die schweigsame Frau. He made many guest appearances at Vienna and Munich, and also sang at Bayreuth, at Covent Garden in London, and in the U.S. with the German Opera Co. in 1923–24

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire