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Peter Schreier (Tenor, Conductor) |
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Born: July 29, 1935 - Meissen, Saxony, Germany
Died: December 25, 2019 - Dresden, Saxony, Germany |
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The highly esteemed German tenor and conductor, Peter (Max) Schreier, was a son of a Church Kantor, who gave him his first musical training. At the age of eight Peter was entered in the preparatory class of the famous chorus the Dresdner Kreuzchor, to which he belonged for many years, and it helped to pave the way for his later musical career. He made his first operatic appearance as one of the Three Boys in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in 1944, which led him to consider a musical career. At the age of ten he started as a soprano but they discovered rapidly that he was an alto. Soon he rose to the position of first alto soloist within the choir. Even as a boy chorister, Schreier was entrusted with many solo parts. As such he sang on some of the first German LP’s ever released, of J.S. Bach cantatas on Deutsche Grammophon's Das alte Werk imprint. He travelled to France, Scandinavia, and Luxembourg, among other destinations, on tour with the Dresdner Kreuzchor.
Peter Schreier remained with the choir as a tenor after his voice changed. In 1954, he began taking private voice lessons with the well-known Leipziger concert singer and singing pedagogue Fritz Polster (1954-1956), while working as a member of the Leipzig Radio Chorus. In 1956, he entered the Dresden Musikhochschule (Carl Maria von Weber College Music), where his teacher was Winkler. Schreier studied both singing and conducting. He also studied at the Dresden State Opera's training school. In 1957, he appeared in the opera studio's production of Il matrimonio segreto as Paolino. He graduated from the Musikhochschule in 1959, passing the State Exam.
Peter Schreier joined the Dresden State Opera's company as a lyric tenor, making his official operatic debut there as the First Prisoner in L.v. Beethoven’s Fidelio in 1959. He became a regular member of the company in 1961. During those years he made an intriguing concert tour to India and the African nation of Mali. He sang a guest appearance at the Berlin State Opera and in 1963 gained a contract with that company as its leading lyric tenor. He made numerous guest appearances in the Soviet Union and other countries of what was then known as the Eastern Bloc, and appeared fairly often in the West. He made his bow in Vienna in 1966 and at the Salzburg Festival one year later, singing Tamino each time. He appeared for the first time in London in 1966 (debut as Ferrando with the visiting Hamburg State Opera), and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1967 (debut as Tamino). There followed his first appearances at the Bayreuth Festival, the Vienna State Opera (1967), La Scala in Milan (1968) and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (1969). Schreier was heard in all the world’s major opera houses.
Peter Schreier quickly won acclaim in particular for his portrayals of W.A. Mozart's main tenor roles and as a recitalist. He was also high praised for roles as diverse as Alfred in Die Fledermaus and Loge in Das Rheingold, and appeared in the premiere of Paul Dessau's Einstein as the Physicist. He also sang the role of Almaviva in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, Fenton in Verdi's Otello, and Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, to name a few.
Peter Schreier’s keen interest in the oratorio earned him an international reputation as a concert singer. Schreier set standards in the interpretation of J.S. Bach’s Oratorios, Passions and Cantatas, notably the parts of the Evangelists, that remain a challenge for every tenor today. He also won acclaim as an incomparable performer of the Lied. His Schubert was especially regarded for its highly expressive projection and shaping of the words.
Peter Schreier sang primarily on East German recordings, many of which are re-released on CD on the Berlin Classics label, and for the Philips label. Numerous records, radio and television productions attest to the multifarious talents of a singer.
In 1970, he took up the other side of his career, conducting for the first time at a concert with the Dresden Staatskapelle. Since then he emerged as a leading J.S. Bach and W.A. Mozart conductor.
Peter Schreier finished his singing career in December 2005, combining the roles of Evangelist and conductor in a performance of J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) in Prague. He continues his work as a conductor.
Peter Schreier received numerous honours, including the National Prize (First Class) of the German Democratic Republic, the Salzburg Mozarteum's Silver Mozart Medal, and the title of Kammersänger (1964). In 1986 he was appointed an honorary member of the Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, the Anderson-Nexö Prize of the City of Dresden, and the Ernst von Siemens Foundation Prize. He published the book ‘Aus meiner Sicht: Gedanken und Erinnerungen’ (edited by M. Meier, Vienna, 1983). In 2005 appeared 'In Rückspiegel' (Vienna, also edited by M. Meier).
Peter Schreier was also an acclaimed voice teacher. Among his pupils and/or singers who attended his master-classes: Shichao Cheng (Tenor), Philipp Kaven (Baritone), Henner Leyhe (Tenor), Joachim Streckfuß (Tenor).
In his later years Peter Schreier lived with his wife at a country home outside Dresden. "I've really sung enough and would just like to enjoy a few more peaceful years now," he told German media after his retirement. He died in Dresden on Christmas Day 2019, after a long illness. |
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More Photos |
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Sources:
Liner notes to 10-CD Set Berlin Classics 001856-2BC (Bach Made in German Vol. VII, 2000)
Liner notes to Berlin Classics CD BC-1066-2 (Cantatas BWV 55, 84 & 199, conducted by Pommer, 1993)
All Classical Guide Website
Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century Classical Musicians (1997)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (April 2001), Marijke Halberstadt (January 2006); Matthias Hansen (Photos 22-23, August 2009; Photo 24, May 2010; Photos 25-26, September 2010); Reimund Gerhard (Dates,. December 2019) |
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Peter Schreier : Short Biography | Ensembles: Kammerorchester Berlin
Bach Discography: Recordings of Vocal Works: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Individual Recordings: BWV 232 - P. Schreier | BWV 245 - P. Schreier | BWV 248 - P. Schreier
Discussions: General Discussions | Articles: Interview with Schreier [Are Söholt]
Table of recordings by BWV Number |
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Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works |
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Conductor |
As |
Works |
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Under his name |
Tenor |
Sacred Songs from the Schemelli Song Book |
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Claudio Abbado |
Tenor |
BWV 244 (x2) |
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Sergiu Celibidache |
Tenor |
BWV 232 |
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Martin Flämig |
Tenor |
BWV 233-236, BWV 244 [3rd, Evangelist], BWV 248/1-6 [1st]
[CR-12] (Mid 1970's?, Radio recording): BWV 12
[CR-19] (Mid 1970's?, Radio recording): BWV 19 |
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Wolfgang Gönnenwein |
Tenor |
BWV 243a |
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Hans Grüss |
Tenor |
BWV 508, BWV 515a, BWV 516, BWV 518 |
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt |
Tenor |
BWV 211 [DVD], BWV 248 [Video/DVD] |
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Günter Jena |
Tenor |
BWV 244 [Evangelist], BWV 248 |
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Helmuth Kahlhöfer |
Tenor |
[CR-21] (1984, Radio recording): BWV 21
[CR-70] (1984, Radio recording): BWV 70 |
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Herbert von Karajan |
Tenor |
BWV 232 [4th], BWV 243 [3rd], BWV 244 [2nd, Evangelist] |
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Benhard Klee |
Tenor |
BWV 244 [Evangelist] |
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Kurt Masur |
Tenor |
BWV 244 |
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Helmut Koch |
Tenor |
BWV 205, BWV 206 |
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Erhard Mauersberger |
Tenor |
BWV 18, BWV 55, BWV 62, BWV 78, BWV 80, BWV 140, BWV 172, BWV 189, BWV 244
Arias for Tenor from BWV 36, BWV 43, BWV 75, BWV 76, BWV 103, BWV 110, BWV 134, BWV 135, BWV 177 |
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Rudolf Mauersberger & Others |
Boy Alto |
Excerpts from BWV 232, BWV 245, BWV 459, BWV 466, BWV 495 (all as a member of Dresdner Kreuzchor) |
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Max Pommer |
Tenor |
BWV 55, BWV 245 [VHS]; Arias from BWV 19, BWV 103 |
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Karl Richter |
Tenor |
BWV 5, BWV 6, BWV 9, BWV 10, BWV 11, BWV 12, BWV 13, BWV 17, BWV 23, BWV 24, BWV 26, BWV 27, BWV 28, BWV 30, BWV 33, BWV 34, BWV 38, BWV 61, BWV 63, BWV 67, BWV 70, BWV 76, BWV 80, BWV 81, BWV 87, BWV 92, BWV 93, BWV 96, BWV 100, BWV 102, BWV 104, BWV 105, BWV 111, BWV 115, BWV 116, BWV 121, BWV 126, BWV 130, BWV 132, BWV 135, BWV 137, BWV 139, BWV 140, BWV 148, BWV 171, BWV 175, BWV 178, BWV 179, BWV 180, BWV 182
BWV 245 [3rd - DVD - Evangelist]
[V-10] (1971, DVD): BWV 244 [5th recording; Evangelist]
[V-23] (1975, Audio): BWV 244 [6th recording]
[V-11] (1979, 3-CD): BWV 244 [7th recording; Evangelist, Arias]
[V-22] (1976, Audio): BWV 245 [5th recording, Evangelist & Arias]
Sacred Songs BWV 445, BWV 446, BWV 447, BWV 449, BWV 450, BWV 451, BWV 453, BWV 460, BWV 461, BWV 466, BWV 469, BWV 475, BWV 478, BWV 480, BWV 484, BWV 487, BWV 493, BWV 495, BWV 506 |
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Helmuth Rilling |
Tenor |
BWV 4 [1980], BWV 16, BWV 36, BWV 42, BWV 103, BWV 108, BWV 175, BWV 177, BWV 183
BWV 245 [2nd, Evangelist & Arias], BWV 248, Schemellis Gesangbuch |
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Hans-Joachim Rotzsch |
Tenor |
BWV 1, BWV 10, BWV 21, BWV 26, BWV 36, BWV 40, BWV 61, BWV 71, BWV 80, BWV 110, BWV 134, BWV 137, BWV 140, BWV 172
BWV 243, BWV 244 [Video], BWV 245 |
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Peter Schreier |
Tenor |
See: Recordings: Part 1 | Part 2 |
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Hans Thamm |
Tenor |
[C-2] (1966): BWV 93 [2nd recording], BWV 131
[C-3] (1966): BWV 137, BWV 190 |
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Gothart Stier |
Tenor |
BWV 244 |
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Links to other Sites |
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Peter Schreier Page
Schreier, Peter - Sänger, Tenor (Dresden Online) [German]
Peter Schreier - Conductor/Tenor (Mariedi Anders)
Munzinger Personen - Peter Schreier [German]
Tapiola Chamber Choir: Other Stuff
Ernst von Siemens Musikstifstung - Peter Schreier (1935) [German]
Peter Schreier - tenor (Hyperion)
Obituary in BBC News
Obituary in DW
Obituary in Billboard |
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