Neidlinger, Gustav
Neidlinger, Gustav
Neidlinger, Gustav, noted German bass-baritone; b. Mainz, March 21, 1910; d. Bad Ems, Dec. 26, 1991. He studied at the Frankfurt am Main Cons. In 1929 he made his operatic debut in Mainz, where he was a member of the Opera (1931–34). After singing with the Plauen Opera (1934–35), he was a member of the Hamburg Opera (1936–50). In 1950 he became a member of the Stuttgart Opera. In 1952 he made his first appearance at the Bayreuth Festival, where he won renown as Alberich; among his other distinguished roles there were Kurwenal, Telramund, Klingsor, and Hans Sachs. He was made a German Kammersänger in 1952. In 1953 he sang at Milan’s La Scala, and from 1956 he appeared with the Vienna State Opera. In 1963 he made his debut at London’s Co vent Garden as Telramund. On Nov. 17, 1972, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as Alberich, but remained on the roster for only one season. He continued to sing in Europe until his retirement in 1977.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire