Anton Dermota facts for kids

Anton Dermota (born June 4, 1910 – died June 22, 1989) was a famous opera singer from Slovenia. He was known as a "lyric tenor," which means he had a clear, smooth, and beautiful singing voice, often used for romantic and gentle roles in operas. He became especially famous for his performances at the Vienna State Opera in Austria.

Early Life

Growing Up and Discovering Music

Anton Dermota was born into a family that didn't have much money. This was in a village called Kropa, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire back then. Today, Kropa is in Slovenia.

He first went to the Ljubljana Conservatory to study how to write music (composition) and play the organ. But in 1934, he received a special scholarship. This scholarship allowed him to go to Vienna, Austria. There, he decided to focus only on singing lessons with a teacher named Marie Radó.

Career

Starting His Opera Journey

Dermota made his first opera performance in Cluj in 1934. Soon after, a famous conductor named Bruno Walter invited him to sing at the Vienna State Opera. This was a very important opera house.

He made his debut there in 1936. His first role was "First Man in Armor" in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. He was so good that he got a contract right away! His first main role was Alfredo in Giuseppe Verdi's opera La traviata in 1937. In the same year, Dermota also sang at the famous Salzburg Festival. He performed in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, led by the legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini.

A Star at the Vienna State Opera

Anton Dermota quickly became a favorite singer for the people in Vienna. He stayed with the Vienna State Opera company for over forty years! He was even there when the opera house was badly damaged by an air raid on March 13, 1945. He helped save some of the furniture from the fire.

After the war, he continued to perform with the company. They used a temporary location called Theater an der Wien. In 1955, he was one of the main stars when the original opera house reopened. He sang the role of Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio. Because of his loyalty and talent, he was given the special title of Kammersänger in 1946. This title means "Chamber Singer" and is a great honor for a singer.

International Performances and Famous Roles

For 20 years, Dermota sang at the Salzburg Festival almost every summer. He also performed as a guest singer in many famous places around the world. These included the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, the Palais Garnier in Paris, and the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma in Rome. He also sang in Naples, Buenos Aires, Australia, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary.

Dermota was best known for singing roles in Mozart's operas. His performance as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni was especially famous. But he sang many different types of roles during his career. He performed in modern operas too, like Oedipus in Igor Stravinsky's Oedipus rex. Later in his life, he even sang more powerful, dramatic roles, like Florestan. Overall, he performed in about 80 different opera roles!

Beyond the Opera Stage

Anton Dermota was also a talented Lieder singer. Lieder are German art songs, usually for a singer and a piano. He gave many concerts with his wife, Hilde Berger-Weyerwald, who was a pianist.

In 1966, he started a second career. He became a singing coach at the Wiener Musikhochschule (Vienna University of Music). This allowed him to teach new singers.

To celebrate his 70th birthday, Dermota sang Tamino in The Magic Flute at the Vienna State Opera again. There's a popular story that when he sang the line, "Ist's Phantasie, dass ich noch lebe?" (which means "Is it a fantasy that I am still alive?"), the audience clapped loudly and spontaneously. A year later, he sang the Shepherd in a famous recording of Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. People were amazed because his voice still sounded so young!

Death

Anton Dermota passed away in Vienna on June 22, 1989. This was less than a month after his 79th birthday.

Decorations and Awards

• 1959: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
• 1977: Grand Silver Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria

See also

In Spanish: Anton Dermota para niños