Opera Scotland

Gustav Neidlinger Suggest updates

Born Mainz, 21 March 1910.

Died Bad Ems, 26 December 1991.

German bass-baritone.

Gustav Neidlinger,  a hugely powerful baritone with a particularly baleful tone,  was,  for many years,  the dominant international performer of three of the nastier characters of the Wagner repertoire - Telramund,  Alberich and Klingsor.

After studying in Frankfurt,  he made his debut at Mainz in 1931.   He was contracted at the Hamburg State Opera 1936-50,  before transferring to Stuttgart, which remained his base.   He was a regular performer at Bayreuth from 1952 through to 1975.   He also performed at the New York Met.

His first appearances in the UK were as a member of the Stuttgart company,  visiting London in 1955 and Edinburgh 1958 and 1966.   He sang at Covent Garden in 1963 (Telramund) and 1965 (Alberich).