21 Facts About Franz Mazura

Franz Mazura was an Austrian bass-baritone opera singer and actor.

Franz Mazura performed at the Bayreuth Festival from 1971 for 25 years and at the Metropolitan Opera for 15 years.

Franz Mazura was made a Kammersanger in 1980 and an Honorary Member of the Nationaltheater Mannheim in 1990.

Franz Mazura's voice was described as with dark timbre, powerful and like granite, with perfect diction.

Franz Mazura could achieve more impact with a lifted eyebrow or a belligerently thrust chin than many artists could with a ten-minute monologue.

Franz Mazura made his debut on the opera stage as a bass at the Staatstheater Kassel in 1949.

Franz Mazura then worked at the Staatstheater Mainz, Staatstheater Braunschweig, and Nationaltheater Mannheim, where he was a member of the ensemble from 1958 to 1963.

Franz Mazura recalled the time there as especially pleasant, singing a repertoire of 60 roles and enjoying the collaboration among colleagues.

Franz Mazura was a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1963.

Franz Mazura had a guest contract with the Hamburg State Opera from 1973.

Franz Mazura appeared at the Bayreuth Festival from 1971 for 25 years.

Franz Mazura sang the roles of Alberich and Gunther in Der Ring des Nibelungen, Biterolf in Tannhauser, Marke in Tristan und Isolde, and finally Klingsor in Parsifal.

In 1976, Franz Mazura performed as Alberich in Wagner's Das Rheingold under Georg Solti, staged by Peter Stein.

Franz Mazura performed roles such as Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca, the Doctor in Berg's Wozzeck, and in Viktor Ullmann's Der Kaiser von Atlantis.

Franz Mazura is a man of commanding stature, both physically and vocally.

Franz Mazura performed as Gurnemanz and Pizarro in 1983, as Count Waldner in Arabella by Richard Strauss in 1984, alongside Kiri Te Kanawa in the title role and conducted by Marek Janowski, and as the Doctor in Wozzeck in 1995.

Franz Mazura performed in 2017 in the world premiere of Giorgio Battistelli's opera Lot, in the role of Abraham, at age 93.

Franz Mazura can be seen on DVD as Gunther in the Jahrhundertring production of Der Ring des Nibelungen, Klingsor in Parsifal, Biterolf in Tannhauser, Prison-Warden Frank in Die Fledermaus, and Doktor Schon in Lulu.

Franz Mazura appears on two Grammy Award winning recordings: as Dr Schon in Lulu, conducted by Pierre Boulez, and as Moses in Schoenberg's Moses und Aron, conducted by Sir Georg Solti.

Franz Mazura was made an honorary member of the Nationaltheater Mannheim in 1990.

Franz Mazura was awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2010.