BurgStaller, Alois

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BurgStaller, Alois

BurgStaller, Alois, German tenor; b. Holzkirchen, Sept. 21, 1871; d. Gmund, April 19, 1945. He was trained as a watchmaker, and also sang; encouraged by Cosima Wagner, he made a serious study of singing, and performed the roles of Siegfried, Siegmund, Erik, and Parsifal at the Bayreuth Festivals (1896–1902). He made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera in N.Y. as Siegmund in Die Walküre on Feb. 12, 1903; remained on its roster until his final appearance, again as Siegmund, on Jan. 14, 1909. He also sang the title role in the first staged American performance of Parsifal, in N.Y., on Dec. 24, 1903, in violation of the German copyright; as a result, he was permanently banned from Bayreuth. In 1910 he returned to Germany

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire