Heinz Zednik
Heinz Zednik(born 21 February 1940) is anAustrianoperaticbuffo tenor,closely associated with the character tenor roles ofWagnersuch as Mime and Loge (Der Ring des Nibelungen) and David (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg). He is also distinguished in roles such as Valzacchi (Der Rosenkavalier), Monostatos (The Magic Flute), Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), the Scribe (Khovanshchina), the Captain inWozzeck,and the Director (Luciano Berio'sUn re in ascolto).
Zednik studied singing in Vienna before making his professional opera début in 1964 at Graz as Maestro Trabuco inLa forza del destino.Shortly thereafter he was engaged by theVienna State Operawhere he remains a member to this day. He appeared at theBayreuth Festivalannually from 1970 through 1980, and was seen as the successor toGerhard Stolze.During his time at the festival, he sang Loge and Mime in theJahrhundertring(Centenary Ring) in 1976, celebrating the centenary of both the festival and the first performance of the complete cycle, conducted byPierre Boulezand staged byPatrice Chéreau,recorded and filmed in 1979 and 1980.
Zednik made his debut at theMetropolitan Operain 1981 as Mime inDas Rheingold.He returned to that house numerous times through 1998 in such roles as Don Basilio inThe Marriage of Figaro,the Dancing Master inAriadne auf Naxos,Monostatos, Pedrillo, and Prince Shuisky inBoris Godunov.[1]
He played Mime in the 1990 PBS broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera, for the largest viewing-audience (world-wide) of theRingin history.
He won twoGrammy Awards,in 1982 and 1989, both for recording Wagner roles.[2]
References
[edit]- ^Metropolitan Opera Archives
- ^"Heinz Zednik".23 November 2020.
- Heinz Zednik: Mein Opernleben(EditionSteinbauer)
