Alfred Piccaver

Alfred Piccaver, an English tenor born in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, in 1884 and who died in Vienna in 1958, was one of the leading figures of German-language opera during the first decades of the twentieth century. Although he was born in England, his training and career unfolded largely in Central Europe and the United States.

He was brought up in New York, where he studied at the American Institute of Applied Music. In 1907 he travelled to Europe and was engaged by the Neues Deutsches Theater in Prague, where he made his debut as Romeo. He continued his studies with Rosario in Milan and with Prohaska-Neumann in Prague. In 1910 he joined the Vienna Court Opera, where he remained a singer much valued by audiences until his retirement in 1937. There he took part in the first Austrian performances of La fanciulla del West and Il tabarro. His repertoire included roles such as Andrea Chénier, Radamès, Lohengrin, Walther, Faust, Des Grieux, Don José, Canio, Werther, Florestan and Lensky. Between 1923 and 1925 he sang with the Chicago Opera and, in 1924, he appeared at Covent Garden.

He left numerous recordings, both acoustic and electrical, which allow one to appreciate the velvety yet also voluminous character of his voice.