Anton John

29 March 1910 Mainz – 22 December 1967 Aystetten (near Augsburg)
After brief studies, he became a chorister at the Mainz theater in 1933, then in Kaiserslautern, Augsburg and Kassel. In Kassel, after further studies, he was promoted to soloist in the 1939/40 season. 1940–42, he sang in Hanau, 1942/43 in Mannheim, and 1943–50 at the Staatsoper Stuttgart wurde. There, he was Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg in the German premiere of Hindemith's "Mathis der Maler" in 1946. 1950–54, he was a member of the Gelsenkirchen theater, and from 1954 at the Augsburg theater, where he sang his farewell performance in 1963 as Erik.

His most important roles were Tamino, Florestan, Max, Canio, Radames, Rienzi, Siegmund, Parsifal, Bacchus, Pedro and Otello.
Reference: Kutsch & Riemens

Anton John sings Mathis der Maler: Mein Bruder, entreiße dich der höllentiefen Qual, with Engelbert Czubok
Live recording from the very first Mathis der Maler performance in Germany

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