Goritz, Otto

views updated

Goritz, Otto

Goritz, Otto, German baritone; b. Berlin, June 8, 1873; d. Hamburg, April 11, 1929. He received his musical education from his mother, Olga Nielitz. He made his debut on Oct. 1, 1895, as Matteo (Fra Diavolo) at Neustrelitz, and his success led to an immediate engagement for 3 years. From 1898 to 1900 he was in Breslau, and from 1900 to 1903 in Hamburg. On Dec. 24, 1903, he made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera in N.Y. as Klingsor in the first production of Parsifal outside Bayreuth; remained there until 1917. In 1924 he returned to Germany, where he sang in Berlin and Hamburg.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire