Hermann Prey

The year 1954 brought his first record recordings ("Der Zigeunerbaron" under Otto Ackermann and "Ariadne auf Naxos" under Herbert von Karajan) as well as his first television work. He achieved international renown as an opera singer with his debuts at the Vienna State Opera (March 1957 as Figaro in Rossini's "Barber") and at the Salzburg Festival (again as Barnier, this time in Richard Strauss's "Die schweigsame Frau"). He also sang Rossini's Barber at the Bavarian State Opera performance, which took place on Christmas Day 1959 at the Cuvilliés Theatre and was broadcast live on television (with Erika Köth and Fritz Wunderlich; DG DVD). In 1960, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Wolfram in a "Tannhäuser" performance under Georg Solti. With Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, and Karl Böhm, he captivated the audience at the Salzburg Festival in Günther Rennert's production of "Così fan tutte". In 1961, he undertook his first tour of Japan, and in 1962, he was appointed Bavarian Kammersänger. In 1963, he moved with his wife Barbara and their three children (Annette, Florian, and Franziska) to Krailling near Munich. In 1964, he sang Papageno in "The Magic Flute" for the first time at the Bavarian State Opera, one of his most successful roles. In 1965, he debuted at the Bayreuth Festival as Wolfram in "Tannhäuser", and in the same year, he created his first television show ("Schaut her, ich bin’s"). From 1967, he sang Papageno in the new production of "The Magic Flute" at the Metropolitan Opera, designed by Marc Chagall. In 1968, he undertook a major tour of South America. In 1969, he was the first German singer to sing the title role in Rossini's "Barbiere" at La Scala in Milan (conductor: Claudio Abbado). Between 1971 and 1975, his largest record project was created: "The Lied Edition Hermann Prey", which comprises 452 lieder from minnesang to the present day. During this period, he was also repeatedly active in television productions, including film adaptations of "Don Pasquale", "Der Wildschütz", and "The Barber of Seville". In 1974, he was Karajan's Papageno in Salzburg (director: Giorgio Strehler), and in 1975, he initiated another major project: the Schubertiade in Hohenems, of which he was Artistic Director from 1976 to 1981. Afterwards, he founded the "Herbstliche Musiktage Bad Urach". In 1981, he made his role debut as Beckmesser in Wagner's "Meistersinger" at the Bayreuth Festival. In the same year, he published his memoirs "Premierenfieber". From 1983 to 1997, he was Artistic Director of the Schubertiade at the Vienna Musikverein. In 1983, he sang Eisenstein in "Die Fledermaus" at the Covent Garden Opera in London. For his portrayal of Beckmesser at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, he received the Italian music critics' prize "F. Abbiati" in 1986; in the same year, he gave six Schubert lieder recitals at La Scala in Milan. In 1988, his debut as an opera director followed ("Figaro" at the Salzburg Mozart Week). In 1992, Prey also sang Beckmesser at the Met, and in 1993, he became an honorary member of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Due to heart weakness, he collapsed in Bad Urach in October 1997. Nevertheless, a short time later, he sang five concerts with the orchestral version of Schubert's "Winterreise". In 1998, he gave a lieder recital in New York with James Levine. His last lieder recital took place on July 12, 1998, at the Prinzregententheater in Munich. On July 22, 1998, Prey died at his home in Krailling of heart failure.