Rudolf Watzke
Rudolf Watzke (5 April 1892 in Niemes, now Mimoň, Bohemia – 18 December 1972 in Wuppertal) was an operatic and concert bass singer.
He sang from 1924 to 1928 at the Berliner Staatsoper|Berlin State Opera, and later sang and taught voice in Dortmund. He was a prominent singer in German oratorios, operas and concerts. Some of his performances were recorded, and are still available on vinyl records and CDs.
He sang live in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic on March 22, 1942, under Wilhelm Furtwängler, with Tilla Briem, Elisabeth Höngen, Peter Anders and the Bruno Kittel Choir (issued on labels Vox Turnabout, Classica d'Oro, Music and Arts, Opus Kura, Tahra, SWF). Video footage of this concert survived, and is still available to the public. It was performed in anticipation of Adolf Hitler's 53rd birthday the following April 20. In 2007, a memorial plaque was unveiled to Rudolf Watzke.
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