Janssen, Herbert

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Janssen, Herbert

Janssen, Herbert, noted German-born American baritone; b. Cologne, Sept. 22, 1892; d. N.Y., June 3, 1965. He studied in Cologne, and then with Oskar Daniel in Berlin, making his operatic debut in Schreker’s Der Schatzgräber at the State Opera there (May 5, 1922), and remaining on its roster until 1938. He also made regular appearances at London’s Covent Garden (1926-39) and at the Bayreuth Festivals (1930-37), where he excelled in such roles as Amfortas, the Dutchman, Gunther, Kur-wenal, and Wolfram. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Wotan during the company’s visit to Philadelphia (Jan. 24, 1939); his formal debut with the company followed in N.Y. as Wolfram (Jan. 28, 1939); he continued as a prominent member on its roster until 1952. He became a naturalized American citizen in 1946. In later years, he was active as a voice teacher. He was also well known for his portrayal of Kothner.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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