Neumann, Wolfgang
Neumann, Wolfgang
Neumann, Wolfgang, Austrian tenor; b. Waiern, June 20, 1945. He received training in Essen and Duisburg. In 1973 he made his operatic debut as Weber’s Max in Bielefeld, and sang there until 1978. Following appearances in Augsburg (1978–80), he sang at the Mannheim National Theater from 1980. As a guest artist, he was engaged in Hamburg, Munich, Vienna, Zürich, Bologna, Florence, and other European music centers. In 1984 he made his first appearance in the U.S. in Dallas as Tannhäuser. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. on Feb. 20, 1988, as Siegfried. In 1990 he sang Rienzi in a concert perf. at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. His portrayal of Tannhäuser at the Bayreuth Festival in 1995 proved memorable. Among his other roles were Tristan, Lohengrin, Erik, Loge, the Emperor in Die Frau ohne Schatten, the Drum Major in Wozzeck, the Cardinal in Mathis der Maler, and Schoen-berg’s Aron.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire