A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Gudehus, Heinrich

GUDEHUS, Heinrich, born at Celle, near Hanover, the son of a schoolmaster there. He was taught singing, first at Brunswick by Malwina Schnorr von Carolsfeld, widow of the tenor singer, and in 1870 at Berlin by Gustav Engel. On Jan. 7, 1871, he first appeared on the stage at Berlin as Nadori in a revival of 'Jessonda,' and subsequently as Tamino, and was well received, but feeling the necessity of further study, retired for a time and studied under Fräulein Louise Resse of Berlin from 1872 to 1875. In 1875 he re-appeared at Riga, and sang there during the season 1875–76, and afterwards was engaged at Lübeck, Freiburg, Bremen, and in 1880 at Dresden, where he is at present. During these five years Herr Gudehus has played in many operas of Mozart, Weber, Meyerbeer, Wagner, Auber ('Masaniello' and 'Fra Diavolo'), Méhul ('Joseph'), Bellini ('Norma'), Boieldieu ('Dame Blanche'), Verdi, etc. On leave of absence from Dresden he has sung with success at Vienna, Frankfort, and Bayreuth, where he made his reputation on July 28, 1882, at the second performance of 'Parsifal,' and in 1884 at the German Opera, Covent Garden, where he made his début June 4 as Walther ('Meistersinger'). He was very successful in this part, and subsequently as Max, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser, and Tristan. On Nov. 10 and 15 of the same year he sang at the Albert Hall at the concert performances of 'Parsifal,' then introduced into England for the first time in its entirety by the Albert Hall Choral Society under the direction of Mr. Barnby. He played Parsifal and Tristan at Bayreuth in 1886.

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