He was a life-long friend of Richard Strauss, who advised him to study voice. He made his debut
in 1937 at the Berlin Volksoper, where he stayed until 1942. For the rest of his career (until 1977), he was a member of the
Bavarian State Opera in Munich.
He sang in his friend's Richard Strauss Capriccio at the Munich world premiere in 1942 (role: Italian Singer),
as well as in the first performance (officially not a world premiere but only a public full rehearsal) of Die Liebe der Danae
in Salzburg in 1944.
Even though he sang also main roles in the first part of his career, he was essentially a specialist for the larger comprimario
parts like Steuermann or both Italian Singers (in Capriccio and in Rosenkavalier). Another specialty was
contemporary opera, where he would sing main roles, also in several world premieres.
He was married to soprano Sári Barabás, with whom he also sang a lot of operetta.
Reference: Kutsch & Riemens, picture source
