Tenors

Hermann Jadlowker

Hermann JadlowkerHermann Jadlowker was born in Riga, Latvia in 1877. He studied at the Vienna Conservatory and made his debut in Cologne in 1899. He then appeared in Riga (1900-1906) and Karlsruhe (1906-9). He was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in 1910, debuting as Faust. In three seasons he sang 60 performances of 14 roles, including Turiddu, Rodolfo, Canio, Pinkerton, and Lohengrin, and created the King’s Son in Humperdinck’s Königskinder (1910) opposite Geraldine Farrar. He also appeared in Boston (1909-1912.) Although the Met wished to keep Jadlowker, Kaiser Wilhelm wanted him for the Berlin Court Opera, offering him more money than was paid to any tenor in Germany at the time. Jadlowker sang at the Berlin Opera from 1911-1919 in a great variety of roles, including Otello and Parsifal. He also made frequent guest appearances at other houses, including creating of the role of Bacchus in Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos in Stuttgart in 1912. Jadlowker retired from the stage in 1919 and in 1929 returned to Riga, serving as a cantor and teaching. In 1938 he emigrated to Palestine, and died in Tel Aviv in 1953. Jadlowker possessed one of the most extraordinary coloratura voices to be heard by any opera tenor on records, but he was also known for beauty of tone and great stage presence.