One of the most unjustly neglected artists from an earlier era is the baritone Joseph Schwarz. Although internationally praised during the early years of the Twentieth Century, today he is virtually unknown to most singers.
Schwarz was born on October 10, 1880 in Riga (Latvia), then a province of Tsarist Russia. He was one of ten children born in a poor, German-Jewish family and was originally to be apprenticed to his father as a tailor. Fortunately, some wealthy entrepreneurs recognized the inherent vocal ability of the young Joseph and sponsored his music studies. After studying in Berlin with Alexander Heinemann, he went to Vienna and studied with Adolf Robinson at the Vienna conservatory. He made his operatic debut in 1900 in Linz as Amonasro in Aida. After tours that took him back to his hometown of Riga, Graz, and the Imperial Opera in St. Petersburg, he settled at the Vienna Opera, where he was a member from 1909 to 1915. After the death of Leopold Demuth, Schwarz took over most of his roles. He was very popular, especially when partnered with Caruso, who often guested at the Staatsoper.
Although initially a somewhat restrained interpreter, he soon grew into an impassioned artist with a wide repertoire at his command. Roles included the Wagnerian Amfortas, Wolfram, and the Wanderer as well as the Italian Rigoletto, Iago (Otello), Germont (Traviata), Scarpia (Tosca), Tonio (Pagliacci), the French Valentine (Faust), Athanael (Thais) Escamillo (Carmen) and the four villains in Hoffmann. During a guest appearance at the Berlin Opera in 1915, Schwarz was hailed as a second Battistini. Because of the phenomenal response of Berlin audiences, he decided to terminate his contract with the Vienna Opera and moved to Berlin. While there, he was acclaimed as a singing actor who excelled equally in the French, Italian and German repertoire. He was especially famous for his incomparable Rigoletto and searing interpretation of Verdi’s Iago, both of which were held as yardsticks for all German interpreters that followed.
During the early 1920s Schwarz concertized throughout the United States and Europe, and performed at Covent Garden, the Civic Opera of Chicago (1922-1925) and the Metropolitan Opera. By 1925, an alcohol addiction had begun to take its toll on his voice. He died the next year, on November 10, 1926, at the age of 46. Despite his short life, he proved to be one of the finest baritones ever to have graced the lyric stage. In addition to the exquisite timbre of his lush voice, Schwarz was a darkly handsome man of much intensity on stage.
Fortunately, the enterprising German recording firm, Preiser, has released two generous CDs of his wonderful art (89033 & 89184). I recommend them to anyone who loves the art of singing. Wide-ranging—from Rossini’s Willhelm Tell to Lewandowski’s “Kol nidre”—the selections on the CDs were recorded between 1913 and 1919, when the baritone was in his thirties. Most date from after Schwarz’s move to his beloved Berlin.
Volume II offers 22 selections of wide-ranging repertoire including selections from Il Barbiere, Zar und Zimmermann, Rheingold, The Demon, Re Lahore, Herodiade, Hans Heiling, Tannhauser (2), Faust, Pagliacci, Zaza, and Xerxes as well as eight songs by Grieg, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Giordani and R. Strauss. For this article, however, I will concentrate on Volume I.
From the first of the 17 pieces (Wilhelm Tell), it is obvious that Schwarz’s technical training was extensive and based on Italian bel canto. Interestingly, Schwarz seems to have eschewed the typical veristic mannerisms most baritones of this era favored. Because of this, there is an elegance to his singing no matter what the dynamics. From recordings it is obvious that his voice was one of sufficient size with a very mellow, lush timbre supported by a solid breath technique and an ease in the top register that allowed for some unusual nuance. Despite the fact that everything is sung in German, Schwarz’s sense of line is so firmly rooted in the Italian style that one is almost deceived into believing that he is singing in original languages. Not content to just sing music, Schwarz imbues each piece with personal touches that remain with the listener long after the recording is over.
Especially important are the five excerpts from Rigoletto which include three duets with the exquisite Claire Dux. Rigoletto was probably Schwarz’s most famous role and he offers a fascinating, multifaceted interpretation of great vocal allure as well as psychological insight. Probably the most unusual aspect of these recordings is that despite the fact that they were not necessarily recorded in sequence, one can still trace the growth and change of the character from Schwarz’s interpretation. They also prove that despite the limitations of the recording process at the time and without the benefit of an audience, Schwarz was a singer who always gave one hundred percent. Each piece receives his complete artistic attention and everything is phrased with imagination and originality.
To elaborate, the first selection, “Pari siamo,” introduces us to Schwarz’s Jester, a proud, somewhat stodgy character, yet one with obvious moments of introspection, which he keeps carefully hidden from others. The aria moves back and forth between these two traits with an unusual smoothness. When Gilda enters and he is dealing with her, the edge of pride is still there, but it becomes softened because of her proximity and his obvious love for her. He is gentle and tender and Dux responds accordingly. She is close to the ideal voice for a Gilda—sweet and lyrical. Schwarz begins both sections of the duet with a sweet pianissimo that perfectly sets up what is to follow. The “Deh non parlare” duet is very moving for the nuance Schwarz lends to the simple lines—even gracefully ornamenting (as was the custom) one of the important cadences. So natural does he sound that it almost appears to be improvising, as singers often did during this era. It is fitting and right for the cadence. I was especially taken with some tempo choices. For instance, the ritards Schwarz and Dux incorporate into the “Ah, veglia oh donna” duet all make sense. And, in the case of Dux’s difficult lines (which rise to peaking C and B flats), they help maintain the concept of a private exchange between two people instead of a virtuostic singing display.
By “Cortigiani,” Schwarz’s proud Rigoletto is almost completely shattered. Although he begins the aria with a touch of the pride first displayed in “Pari siamo,” it is obviously a defense mechanism of his character, and it quickly disintegrates. By the time he is begging Marullo for the whereabouts of Gilda, he is completely broken and desperate. Interestingly, Schwarz ignores the score marking of forte at “tu taci,” singing instead a high pianissimo that says so much more about what is happening internally to his character than the requested forte would have. The aria proper is sung with great intensity but always a strong legato line. This is one of the times that one does not even notice that the aria is not being sung in Italian.
In the final selection, the “Piangi” duet after Gilda’s Act III confession, some of the inherent pride of Schwarz’s character returns. This time it is tempered by a pity for both his and his daughter’s situations. His singing of “Weine” (Piangi) is a command to Gilda to mourn their combined betrayal. During the duets Shwarz always provides a strong, reliable legato line for Dux to play against. Metaphorically it could be interpreted as a vocal depiction of the impenetrable strength of a father’s love for his daughter. The decrescendo they both use during the final ritard (in the final cadence) will break your heart. These selections alone are worth the price of the CD.
Other selections include arias and duets from Trovatore (2), Traviata, Ballo in Maschera (2), Otello, L’Africaine (2), Hoffmann (just listen to his decrescendo at the end of this aria), a Liszt song and the Lewandowski “Kol nidre.”
The selections from L’Africaine are refreshingly different and thrillingly sung. And although Dux does not have the right vocal weight for a Leonora, the Act IV duet from Trovatore, a most unusual recording, is successful due to the extreme musicality of both artists. Preiser has also included the famous recording of Iago’s Credo from Otello. This is a masterful, beautifully sung yet strongly interpreted performance. Also of special note is an extremely moving “ Oh quand je dors” by Liszt and an idiomatic, gorgeous “Kol nidre.”
Do yourself a favor and look for this singer’s recordings.
