Max Lorenz (tenor)

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Max Lorenz (born Max Sülzenfuß May 10, 1901 – January 11, 1975) was a German heldentenor famous for Wagner roles.

Studied with Grenzebach in Berlin in the 1920s, became a principal tenor at Dresden in 1928, and made his first recordings in 1927. From 1933 he was at the Berlin Staatsoper, appearing also at the Metropolitan (from 1931), Bayreuth (from 1933, and again in 1952 and 1954), Covent Garden (1934 and 1937) and in many other houses in Europe and the USA. He became a member of the Vienna Staatsoper in 1937, appearing at many Salzburg festivals and creating roles in such new works as Gottfried von Einem’s Der Prozess (Josef K, 1953), Rolf Liebermann’s Penelope (1954) and Rudolf Wagner-Régeny’s Das Bergwerk zu Falun (1961). Lorenz was for almost three decades a prominent Wagnerian tenor, celebrated as Tristan, Siegfried and Walther in particular; he was also a notable Othello, Bacchus and Herod. He led the cast in the live wartime recording of Die Meistersinger recorded at Bayreuth Festival.