Kalisch, Paul

views updated

Kalisch, Paul

Kalisch, Paul, German tenor; b. Berlin, Nov. 6, 1855; d. St. Lorenz am Mondsee, Austria, Jan. 27, 1946. He studied architecture, then went to Milan, where he took voice lessons with Leoni and Lamperti. He made his operatic debut under the name Paolo Alberti in Rome as Edgardo (1879), and subsequently sang in Milan’s La Scala (1882) and other Italian opera houses. After appearing in Munich (1883), he was a member of Berlin’s Royal Opera (1884-87).He made his first appearance in London at Her Majesty’s Theatre (1887). In 1888, he married Lilli Lehmann , with whom he frequently appeared in operatic performances. On Jan. 30, 1889, he sang Tannhäuser in his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y.; sang there again in 1890 and 1891. He later separated from Lehmann, although they never legally divorced; after her death in 1929, he settled on her estate.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire