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British opera singer Norman Bailey was known for his penetrating timbre, vivid diction, and dramatic acting. He was a Wagner specialist with a deep understanding of his characters' psychological complexities. He was born in Birmingham, England in 1933 and his family moved to South Africa after the end of World War II. Bailey's talent for singing was first discovered while he was a theology student at Rhodes University. After hearing him sing, his vocal instructor suggested that he change his major to music, which was ultimately very good advice. Later, he studied at the Vienna Music Academy under Josef Witt, Adolf Vogel, and Julius Patzak. In 1959, he made his debut performing the role of Tobias Mill in Rossini's La Cambiale di Matrimonio with the Vienna Chamber Opera. He then sang at the Landestheater Linz from 1960 to 1963, followed by the Deutche Oper am Rhein from 1964 to 1967. Also in 1967, he had his first performance at La Scala in Milan, and he made his U.K. debut in a production of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, which began a long association with Sadler's Wells Theatre. The following year, he sang the role of Hans Sachs in Wagner's Die Meistersinger con Nurnberg, conducted by Reginald Goodall. This became one of his signature roles, along with Wotan from Wagner's epic Ring Cycle, which he first performed in 1966 in Oldenburg, Germany. In the 1970s, Bailey continued working with the English National Opera (formerly Sadler's Wells Theatre) and sang his signature roles throughout Europe and in the United States which included a debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1976. He was a master at these roles in the original German language as well as the English translations performed with the ENO. Bailey also enjoyed singing contemporary music and in 1985 he created the Johann Matthys role in the premiere of Goehr's Behold the Sun, in Duisberg. He maintained a busy performance schedule throughout the 1990s, and gradually shifted to performing mostly in the U.S. At this time he lived in Idaho with his wife Kristine Ciesinski, who was also an opera singer. In 1996 he made his debut at the Glyndebourne Festival with a very convincing portrayal of Schigolch from Berg's Lulu. He continued to perform until he suffered a stroke in 2008 which led to his retirement. Bailey passed away in Rexburg, Idaho in 2021. ~ RJ Lambert

This Austrian singer, whose career trajectory has taken him from lyric to dramatic baritone, has established himself as a strong and reliable artist. At his first appearance in Bayreuth as Wolfram, Weikl revealed a linear, compact instrument with a quick vibrato. While by no means a bass baritone, his lower voice has gained in amplitude over the years, allowing him to fill out the deeper reaches of such roles as Wagner's Dutchman and Hans Sachs, and Strauss' Barak and Mandryka. Indeed, his handsome, burly appearance is now matched by the sound and texture of his expanded voice. By no means a penetrating actor, Weikl still brings earnest intent and solid craft to his stage performances. In addition to the heavier German repertory, Weikl has shown consistent interest in Italian roles, at one point recording an accomplished Rigoletto.

Following studies at Mainz and Hanover, Weikl made his stage debut at the latter city in 1968, singing Ottokar in Weber's Der Freischütz. He joined the company at Düsseldorf in 1970, remaining with that theater for three years. During that period, he was engaged by Karajan for Melot at the 1971 Salzburg Festival and, the year after, made his debut at the Bayreuth Festival as Wolfram. His first-season success led to further engagements as the Herald, Amfortas, and later, Hans Sachs.

For his London debut, Rossini's Figaro was the role -- an interpretation noted as boisterous, but somewhat Germanic. Weikl's Metropolitan Opera debut on December 2, 1977, found him singing Wolfram once more, enjoying another success with the part. Subsequently, he has returned to the Metropolitan as Orest, Jochanaan, Amfortas, Mandryka, and Hans Sachs.

Other theaters throughout Europe were likewise as quick to engage Weikl; he became a celebrated singer in his native Vienna as well as in Munich, Berlin, and Hamburg. Industrious in adding new parts, the singer can now boast more than 100 characters in his inventory. Beyond the Continent, he is best-known for his Wagner and Strauss roles, but in Austria and Germany he has just as often sung the Italian, Russian, and French repertories; these include such figures as Verdi's Posa, Count di Luna, Ford and Simon Boccanegra, Mozart's Don Giovanni (recorded with Solti), Count Almaviva, Guglielmo, Tchaikovsky's Yevgeny Onegin (also recorded with Solti), Tomsky, Morone in Pfitzner's Palestrina, and Goloud. Although his primary focus has remained on opera, Weikl is also a positive presence on the concert stage, both as a soloist in choral works and as a recitalist. These activities have largely been centered in Europe.

Of Weikl's many recordings, several deserve special attention. His Hans Sachs, recorded with Cheryl Studer, Ben Heppner, and Kurt Moll under the mature and understanding direction of Wolfgang Sawallisch is worth searching out. His Dutchman with Sinopoli has much of the requisite torment and is firmly sung. His Eugene Onegin, recorded with a good cast and lovingly led by Solti is worth pursuing, as is his Cardinal Morone in Kubelik's recording of Palestrina, captured in excellent sound.

As the grandson of operetta composer Walter Kollo (1878 - 1940) and the son of Willi Kollo, likewise a composer of light music, René Kollo began his career as a pop singer and operetta tenor. He made the transition to concert and opera in 1965, at Brunswick, singing the title role in Stravinsky's Oedipus rex. In 1969, he attracted international attention at Bayreuth as the Steersman in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer, and in 1970 debuted at La Scala as Matteo in Richard Strauss' Arabella.

Although not yet a "dramatic tenor" (and never a true Heldentenor despite his repertoire later on), the die had been cast. Kollo sang Lohengrin in 1971 -- also his American debut role at the Met in 1976 -- then Walther in Die Meistersinger in 1973, Parsifal in Wolfgang Wagner's new Bayreuth production in 1975, and a year later Siegfried in Patrice Chéreau's centennial staging of Der Ring at Bayreuth, conducted by Pierre Boulez. For his London debut, he switched from Siegfried to Siegmund in Die Walküre, later adding Tristan to his Wagner repertoire in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's scandalous Bayreuth production of 1981. At Geneva he performed Tannhäuser for the first time in 1986, and even sang in a complete production of Wagner's Rienzi, a five-act marathon that daunted bigger voices than Kollo's.

By no means, however, was Wagner his only operatic specialty: He sang Paul in Korngold's Die tote Stadt for the Munich Radio in 1974, then Florestan in Bernstein's 1978 Fidelio at the Vienna Staatsoper for Unitel, which also preserved his Matteo in Arabella under Solti, and Bacchus in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos under Böhm. Kollo's repertory embraced Gherman in Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame, Canio in Pagliacci, Dmitri in Boris Godunov, the title role in Pfitzner's Palestrina, and at age 51 Otello in Frankfurt for the first time. At Munich in 1991 he scored a personal triumph in Britten's Peter Grimes.

As a concert singer, Kollo recorded Mahler's Eighth Symphony in Vienna with Solti and the Chicago Symphony (on tour); also Das Lied von der Erde with Bernstein in Israel. He was the tenor soloist in Bernstein's Vienna recordings of the Beethoven Ninth and Missa solemnis as well as the Ninth in Berlin for Unitel with Karajan conducting. He became a regular in Karajan's "repertory company" of the 1970s and early '80s.

Contributing to Kollo's success were his physical trimness and good looks, even in middle age, and his uncommon gifts as an actor, even after the voice had developed a widening vibrato and tonal rawness in the upper register. Though it was already evident before age 35, Kollo could minimize Wagnerian wear-and-tear by lightening his voice in frequent operetta appearances (as the Chinese prince in Das Land des Lächelns, Wiener Blut, Gräfin Mariza, Csárdásfürstin, La belle Hélène, and of course Die Fledermaus); several of these are preserved on video.

In the final period, before retiring from the stage in June 2000, he was a member of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, although he began staging operas at Darmstadt in 1986 (Parsifal), and Ulm in 1991 (d'Albert's Tiefland). For one unsuccessful season (1996 - 1997) he was director of Berlin's Metropol Theater, which specialized in operettas but had deteriorated between 1961 and the reunification of East and West. Today he calls the island of Majorca home, but claims it bores him except for the sun. Like Giuseppe di Stefano earlier on, he continues to sing light music within the current restrictions of a voice put to hard use for 30 years in the Heldentenor wars.

Since its inception in 1842, the Wiener Philharmoniker (or Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in English) has represented the best in the Central European orchestral tradition. Before the Wiener Philharmoniker was founded, there was no permanent, professional orchestra to be found outside the opera halls in the city of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. The Wiener Philharmoniker is one of the most traditional orchestras in the world today, with much-beloved traditions, like the annual New Year's concerts of waltzes by the Strauss family.

In 1833, Franz Lachner, conductor at the Hofoper, had formed a musicians' association from the ranks of the opera orchestras to play symphonic music, but this was a temporary endeavor. Nine years later, a group of music critics and other interested parties persuaded Otto Nicolai, principal conductor of the Kärntertortheater, to conduct the first Wiener Philharmoniker concert at the Grosser Redoutensaal (Great Ballroom) on March 28, 1842. The group was founded as the first completely self-governing orchestra, and it has remained so ever since. Although concerts were irregular until 1860, the orchestra quickly built up a reputation. From 1860 to 1875, Otto Dessoff was the permanent conductor, bringing the music of Brahms, Wagner, and Liszt into the concert halls. Hans Richter succeeded Dessoff and conducted the orchestra until 1898, introducing Bruckner and Dvorák to Viennese audiences. Both of these conductors played major roles in establishing the Wiener Philharmoniker as one of the finest orchestras in the world. During this time, the Wiener Philharmoniker had numerous premieres of now-classic works such as Brahms' Second Symphony and Bruckner's Eighth; sometimes, as in the case of Bruckner's Third, the premiere was conducted by the composer himself. The great Gustav Mahler conducted from 1898 to 1901, but his tenure was marked by dissension within the orchestra.

The longest-term conductor of the post-Mahler era was Felix Weingartner, from 1908 to 1927. He was beloved by the orchestra for his measured, classical style and, in particular, for his Beethoven interpretations. From 1933 to 1938, the revered conductors Bruno Walter and Wilhelm Furtwängler shared the subscription concerts; after Hitler's annexation of Austria in 1938, the Nazi Party dissolved the orchestra, but the decision was reversed after Furtwängler intervened. The Wiener Philharmoniker led an uneasy life during the war but afterward reclaimed its place in the world's orchestral pantheon. The list of conductors who have led Wiener Philharmoniker subscription concerts reads like an honor roll of maestros; Richard Strauss, Arturo Toscanini, Herbert von Karajan, and Leonard Bernstein have each taken turns at the podium.

The Wiener Philharmoniker has held an annual New Year's Day Concert of Strauss family works, particularly those of Johann II, since 1941 when Clemens Krauss began the tradition; the first of these concerts was actually held on New Year's Eve in 1939, after which the concert has occurred on New Year's Day. Riccardo Muti led the orchestra in its 80th New Year's concert in 2021, marking his sixth appearance in the series. While some of its traditions are revered, others have come under fire in recent years. Though the Wiener Philharmoniker premiered a lot of music in its early days, it now prefers to play mostly music written before 1900, which created a controversy at the Salzburg Festival during the 1990s. The orchestra also refused until 1997 to accept a female musician as a full member, threatening to disband rather than cave in to political pressure. The first woman member of the Wiener Philharmoniker was harpist Anna Lelkes, who was granted full membership after 26 years of service. Simone Young was the first woman to conduct the Wiener Philharmoniker in 2005, and in 2008, Albena Danailova became the orchestra's first female concertmaster. Historically, the Wiener Philharmoniker has opposed hiring musicians who are not Central European in order to preserve what is perceived as a unique quality of sound. While the orchestra's policies may be controversial, it cannot be disputed that the Wiener Philharmoniker is one of the world's finest orchestras, performing with exceptional finesse and clarity, with a beautifully blended woodwind and brass sound that meshes perfectly with its subtle, lush strings.

The Wiener Philharmoniker is celebrated on 24-carat gold bullion coins issued by the Austrian Mint. In 2006, the design of the coinage was featured by Austrian Airlines on its airplanes to promote both the orchestra and the sale of the coins, which are among the most popular with investors. ~ Andrew Lindemann Malone