Leo Slezak

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Leo Slezak (August 18, 1873 – June 1, 1946) was a popular tenor opera singer and actor/comedian.

Born in Šumperk (Mährisch-Schönberg), he worked as a gardener, an engineer's fitter and served in the army before taking singing lessons. He made his debut in 1896 in Brno (Brünn), afterwards he became a very popular singer in a very short time at the Vienna Opera. He also sang big parts in Bohemia and Germany. From 1901 onward, he was a permanent member of the Vienna Opera ensemble and started a huge world career. In 1909 he locked a three-year contract at Metropolitan Opera in New York City. There he had great success as a singer of Wagner and Verdi. He was the most famous Otello of his time, and performed the role at the Metropolitan Opera with Arturo Toscanini conducting.

Many anecdotes reveal his sense of humour. The best-known example: During a performance of Lohengrin a technician sent the swan out too early, before the tenor could hop aboard. Seeing his feathered transportation disappear behind the scenes, Slezak ad-libbed to the audience: "Wann fährt der nächste Schwan?" ("When does the next swan leave?")

His autobiography, published in English as Song of Motley: Being the Reminiscences of a Hungry Tenor in 1938 contains pen-portraits of many of the musicians and artists of his time with whom he worked, including Gustav Mahler, Arturo Toscanini, and Cosima Wagner. It also describes his tours of America, Russia and the Balkans and recalls his ill-fated attempt to audition for Frau Wagner at Bayreuth by singing I Pagliacci.

In 1932 Slezak began to play parts in German cinema. There he played humorous roles, but mostly he sang. Some of these movies are La Paloma (1934), Gasparone (1937) and A Rushing Ball Night (1939), his final role was a portly sultan in the 1943 UFA prestige production Münchhausen. His son, Walter Slezak, who began in musical theater, became a highly respected character actor in Hollywood. His granddaughter (Walter's daughter) is actress Erika Slezak, noted for her role on the soap opera One Life to Live.