Lorenz (1901-1975) was primarily a Wagner tenor, who was as troubled as the times in which he lived. Born Max Sülzenfuß, he rose to become the world’s great opera houses’ Wagner helden-tenor par excellence. His roles encompassed all the Wagner tenor characters, from Tristan, Walther, and Rienzi, to Siegmund, Lohengrin, and Tannhauser. He is however, best remembered for his unsurpassed and deservedly legendary Siegfried. He also graced the stage as a very powerful Otello.
Lorenz’s rise to fame coincided with Hitler’s rise to power. As Hitler was a great supporter of Bayreuth and the teutonic themes of Wagner’s librettos, Lorenz became Germany’s ideal of a “german” tenor. Lorenz’ voice was innate with immediacy, warmth of tone, effortless top notes, and indeed what one might call “german” timbre. He was also a very affecting and passionate actor.
He also sang at the Met, Berlin, Dresden, Covent Garden, and Vienna. He was however, quite troubled, and at times popularity sat uncomfortably with him. Although he was married to Lotte Appel, he was a homosexual, and was at one point on trial because of his behavior. This prompted Hitler to disallow his future at Bayreuth; however, Winifred Wagner interceded, as she believed Bayreuth to be unthinkable without Lorenz. Throughout WWII, Lorenz had to be extremely careful and protective of Lotte, who was Jewish. He successfully and dramatically negotiated her protection, and Göring spared Lorenz and Lotte the fateful calamities that other Jews and/or homosexuals endured.
After the War, Lorenz quickly became Austrian, distancing himself from what had been the Third Reich.
His recording legacy includes re-issues by the “Lebendige Vergangenheit” label, as well as a fantastic live Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg from the Bayreuth 1943 season.
He later also taught quite a bit; his best known student became a famous Wagner tenor in his own right, James King. Listen to Lorenz as Walther:
Listen also to the intensity of his Otello:
nice summary my operaprince
Hugs from Berlin