{{short description|German-born Austrian tenor (1894–1973)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = William Wernigk | image = | caption = | alt = | birth_date = {{birth date|1894|02|05|df=y}} | birth_place = Chemnitz, German Empire | death_date = {{death date and age|1973|01|21|1894|02|05|df=y}} | death_place = Vienna, Austria | education = | occupation = Operatic tenor | organizations = Vienna State Opera | title = }}
'''William Wernigk''' (5 February 1894 – 21 January 1973) was an Austrian operatic tenor, who was a member of the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera for 44 years, in roles such as Pedrillo in Mozart's ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' and Monostatos in ''Die Zauberflöte'', Cassio in Verdi's ''Otello'' and Goro in Puccini's ''Madama Butterfly'', as well as many comprimario roles. He appeared as a guest around Europe and performed at the Salzburg Festival both in concert and on stage, taking part in the world premiere of Gottfried von Einem's ''Dantons Tod'' there in 1947. He performed in early complete opera recordings such as ''Der Rosenkavalier'' by Strauss with Robert Heger in 1933, and Mozart's ''Die Zauberflöte'' with Arturo Toscanini in 1937.
== Life == Wernigk was born in Chemnitz.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> During his school years, Wernigk became a member of the ''{{Ill|Schülerverbindung|de}} Nibelungia Wien''. He was drafted into military service in 1914 and seriously wounded in Russia in 1915.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> From 1915, he lived in Vienna and trained as an opera singer, mainly self-taught. In 1919, he was engaged by the Vienna State Opera, where he remained a member of the ensemble until his retirement in 1963.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> Wernigk was a versatile ''spieltenor'' with good acting skills. He appeared in roles such as Pedrillo in Mozart's ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' and Monostatos in ''Die Zauberflöte'', and Wenzel in Smetana's ''Die verkaufte Braut''. His Italian repertoire included Cassio in Verdi's ''Otello'', Goro in Puccini's ''Madama Butterfly'' and Altoum and Pong in ''Turandot''.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> He appeared as Dr. Falke in ''Die Fledermaus'' by Johann Strauss 85 times.<ref name="Vienna" /> As a comprimario actor, he became a mainstay of the Vienna State Opera ensemble, also taking on very minor roles such as servant, doorman, sailor, tailor, messenger, executioner, hotel manager and other service providers, the First prisoner in Beethoven's ''Fidelio'' and the First armoured man in ''Die Zauberflöte''. He also performed musically intricate ensemble roles such as the Second Jew in ''Salome''. In ''Der Rosenkavalier'' by Richard Strauss, and in four roles in which he appeared between 1920 and 1956: 215 times as the Servant to Faninal, 176 times as the Innkeeper, 8 times as Valzacchi and 4 times as the Servant to the Feldmarschallin, sometimes in two roles the same evening, including when the ensemble performed at the Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden and in Brussels in 1953.<ref name="Vienna">[https://archiv.wiener-staatsoper.at/search/person/3116 Vorstellungen mit William Wernigk] Vienna State Opera</ref>
From 1927 to 1949, he was a regular guest at the Salzburg Festival, where he also appeared in the Domkonzerte concert series, including Bruckner's Messe No. 3 in 1933, and Mozart's Mass in C major, K. 337, in 1936.<ref>Salzburg Festival: [http://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/archivdetail?programid=5466&id=0&sid=113 "3. Domkonzert"], Salzburg Cathedral, 9 August 1936; retrieved 8 February 2021</ref> On stage, he performed many of his Vienna roles.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> In 1947, he took part in the world premiere of Gottfried von Einem's ''Dantons Tod'' there,<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> conducted by Ferenc Fricsay and alongside Paul Schöffler in the title role, Julius Patzak as Desmoulins, and Maria Cebotari as Lucile.<ref name="musicologie">[https://www.musicologie.org/20/dantons_tod.html Gottfried von Einem : ''Dantons Tod'' / ''La mort de Danton''] (in French) musicologie.org 6 June 2020</ref>
He appeared as guest at the Semperoper in Dresden in 1927, in Milan, in Paris in 1928 and 1936, at the Vienna Volksoper in 1940 and at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in 1935.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /><!-- In 1959, he was elected to the artistic works council of the Vienna State Opera. not in the ref-->
Wernigk died in Vienna at the age of 80.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" />
== Roles == === Premieres === * 1935: ''Die Dame im Traum'' by Franz Salmhofer, Vienna State Opera (26 December) – Hotel director<ref name="Vienna" /> * 1947: ''Dantons Tod'' by Gottfried von Einem, Salzburg Festival, (8 August) – First executioner<ref name="musicologie" />
=== Repertoire === Wernigk appeared in many roles at the Vienna State Opera, including:<ref name="Vienna" /> {| class="toptextcells" |- | Beethoven: * First prisoner in ''Fidelio'' Berg: * Jester in ''Wozzeck'' Bizet: * Dancairo / Remendado in ''Carmen'' Giordano: * Abbé / Incroyable in ''Andrea Chénier'' Humperdinck: * Witch in ''Hänsel und Gretel'' Korngold: * Victorin / Count Albert in ''Die tote Stadt'' Lehár: * Pierrino / Street singer in ''Giuditta'' Lortzing: * Georg in ''Der Waffenschmied'' * Pankratius in ''Der Wildschütz'' * Officer in ''Zar und Zimmermann'' Meyerbeer: * Cossé / Tavannes in ''Les Huguenots'' * Door keeper in ''L'Africaine'' Mozart: * Pedrillo / Klaas / Leader of the guards in ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' * Don Curzio / Don Basilio in ''Le nozze di Figaro'' * Monostatos / First priest / First armoured man in ''The Magic Flute'' Nicolai: * Junker Spärlich / Waiter in ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' Offenbach: * Andrès / Cochenille / Frantz / Pitichinaccio in ''Les Contes d'Hoffmann'' Pfitzner: * Bishop of Budoja / Master of the art of sound / Chapel singer of St. Maria in ''Palestrina'' | Puccini: * Alcindoro in ''La bohème'' * Spoletta in ''Tosca'' * Goro / Sharpless in ''Madama Butterfly'' * Harry / Joe in ''La fanciulla del West'' * Gherardo in ''Gianni Schicchi'' * Altoum / Pong / Pang in ''Turandot'' Johann Strauß II.: * Dr. Falke / Alfred / Frank / Murray in ''Die Fledermaus'' Richard Strauss: * Narraboth / Second Nazarene / Second Jew / Third Jew in ''Salome'' * Young servant in ''Elektra'' * Servant to Faninal / Servant to the Feldmarschallin / Valzacchi / Innkeeper in ''Der Rosenkavalier'' * Brighella / Scaramuccio / Wigmaker / Officer in ''Ariadne auf Naxos'' * Count Elemér in ''Arabella'' * Servant in ''Capriccio'' Verdi: * Hauptmann in ''Simon Boccanegra'' * Borsa in ''Rigoletto'' * Judge in ''Un ballo in maschera'' * Tebaldo in ''Don Carlos'' * Messenger in ''Aida'' * Cassio in ''Otello'' Wagner: * Helmsman in ''Der fliegende Holländer'' * Brabant nobleman in ''Lohengrin'' * David / Augustin Moser / Balthasar Zorn in ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'' * Mime in ''Das Rheingold'' * Mime in ''Siegfried'' Weinberger: * Executioner / Devil's Famulus in ''Schwanda the Bagpiper'' Wolf-Ferrari: * Filipeto in ''I quatro rusteghi'' |}
== Recordings == Wernigk's recordings include:
'''Complete recordings''' * Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro'', conductor: Bruno Walter (1937) – as Don Basilio<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> * Mozart: ''Die Zauberflöte'', conductor: Arturo Toscanini (1937) – as Monostatos<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /><ref>Kurt Malisch: [http://www.klassik-heute.com/4daction/www_medien_einzeln?id=14422&Inter13717 Mozart: Die Zauberflöte] (in German) klassik-heute.com 1 October 2002</ref> * Richard Strauss: ''Der Rosenkavalier'', conductor: Robert Heger (1933) – as the Innkeeper<ref>Ekkehard Pluta: [http://www.klassik-heute.com/4daction/www_medien_einzeln?id=14454&Inter13717 Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier] (in German) klassik-heute.com 13 November 2002</ref>
'''Individual scenes from archive recordings of the Vienna State Opera''' * David in Wagner's ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg''<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> * Mime in Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (1948)<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" />
== References == {{Reflist | refs =
<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens">{{cite book | last1 = Kutsch | first1 = K.-J. | author1-link = Karl-Josef Kutsch | last2 = Riemens | first2 = Leo | author2-link = Leo Riemens | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dsfq_5dFeL0C&pg=5020 | chapter = Wernigk, William | title = Großes Sängerlexikon | publisher = De Gruyter | edition = 4th | language = de | date = 2012 | page = 5020 | isbn = 978-3-59-844088-5 }}</ref>
}}
== Further reading == * Helge Dvorak: ''Biographisches Lexikon der Deutschen Burschenschaft'', vol. II: ''Künstler''. Winter, Heidelberg 2018, {{ISBN|978-3-8253-6813-5}}, {{p.|720}}.
== External links == * {{AllMusic|id=mn0001670610}} * {{discogs artist}}
{{portal bar|Biography|Opera|Austria}} {{authority control|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wernigk, William}} Category:Austrian operatic tenors Category:1894 births Category:1973 deaths Category:Musicians from Chemnitz Category:Austrian people of German descent Category:20th-century Austrian male opera singers