Opera Scotland

Werner Krenn Suggest updates

Born Vienna, 21 September 1943.

Austrian tenor.

Werner Krenn had a professional career as an orchestral bassoonist as well as much success singing lyric tenor roles, especially by Mozart. His voice was light, but his technique made him a near-ideal interpreter in roles such as Don Ottavio.

He was a member of the Vienna Boys' Choir and trained with László Somogy. His professional debut in 1966 was at the Berlin Festival, appearing in The Fairy Queen. The following year he made his first appearance at the Salzburg Festival as Aceste in Ascanio in Alba, one of his first Mozart roles. He appeared at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 1969 as Don Ottavio. His first appearance at the Vienna State Opera in 1971 was as Idamante, and he repeated the part in the Netherlands (Scheveningen 1973).

His only operatic appearances in Britain were with Scottish Opera, making his debut in 1970 as Don Ottavio. On the same visit he sang Jaquino, a part he repeated at the 1974 revival.

He made several recordings, including Handel's Messiah (with Bonynge and Sutherland), the title role in La clemenza di Tito (under Kertész) and Don Ottavio (under Bonynge, with Sutherland as Donna Anna). He also recorded Haydn's Creation with Antal Dorati. He appears in a film version of Die Entführung aus dem Serail.

(Sources: New Grove Opera and programmes)