Ivar Andresen

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Ivar Frithiof Andresen (Kristiania, July 27, 1896 - November 6, 1940) was a Norwegian opera singer.

By some called "the voice of the century", Andresen was the first Norwegian to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. A bass, he was considered one of the best Wagner-interpreters of his time. After his debut in Stockholm in 1919, he worked at Kungliga Teatern (now Kungliga Operan, or Royal Swedish Opera, 1921-26), Dresden (1926-31), Deutsche Opernhaus, Berlin (1931-35), and guested the Metropolitan (1930-32), and Bayreuth (1927-31).

In Norway he is today probably best known for adorning the box of the cough drop brand "IFA", produced by Nidar. Since the 1930s Andresen's face has been seen on the package, along with a quote recommending the product to "singers, public speakers, smokers and athletes."

[edit] References

Rosenthal, Harold and John Warrack. (1979, 2nd ed.). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera. London, New York and Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 12. ISBN 0-19-311318-X.
Sadie, Stanley and Christina Bashford. (1992). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Vol. 1, p. 129. ISBN 0-935859-92-6.
Sadie, Stanley and John Tyrrell. (2001).The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Vol. 1, p. 630. ISBN 0-333-60800-3.