Opera Scotland

Alberto Remedios Suggest updates

Born Liverpool, 27 February 1935.

Died Sydney, 11 June 2016.

English tenor.

Alberto Remedios had a notable career as a lyric tenor who developed the power to specialise in the Wagnerian repertoire while still retaining an unusually fluid technique and sweetness of tone.

He began his working life as a welder, while studying with Edwin Francis in Liverpool. Later, in London, he trained with Joseph Hislop, and at the Royal College of Music with Clive Carey.

His Sadler’s Wells debut came in 1957, as Tinca in Il tabarro, and he soon began to sing the lyric repertoire. He was a member of the Sutherland-Williamson company that toured Australia in 1965, when he sang Edgardo, Alfredo, Faust and Lensky. The other leading tenor on this tour partnering Joan Sutherland was a young Pavarotti. Remedios also spent two seasons under contract at the Frankfurt Opera 1968-70.

From 1968, back at Sadler’s Wells, and studying under the guidance of Reginald Goodall and Leonard Hancock, he developed into a leading Wagnerian tenor, singing Walther, Lohengrin, Siegmund, Siegfried and Tristan. Live recordings were issued of Mastersingers, Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods, all conducted by Goodall.

His appearances at Covent Garden began in 1966 with Grigory and Erik, followed in 1970 by Mark in The Midsummer Marriage, which was conducted by Colin Davis (and recorded). He later sang Bacchus and Siegfried there. His repertoire also included Don Ottavio, Samson, Florestan, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Max, Peter Grimes, Aeneas, and Otello (the last of which he sang with Welsh National). He sang Grimes in 1981, with Abbey Opera.

He made his debut at the New York Met in 1976, as Bacchus, and sang Peter Grimes at the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires. Towards the end of his singing career he moved to Australia, where he performed Otello, Siegmund and Tristan.

With Scottish Opera his roles were Bacchus, Walther, Oedipus Rex and Laca.