Schachtschneider grew up in Berlin, where he studied voice with Julius von Raatz-Brockmann until 1939, when he was
drafted into the Wehrmacht. He got into British war captivity, and only upon being released in 1948, he could resume his vocal
studies. For that purpose, he stayed in England, and studied with Hans Nachod.
Then he returned to Germany and sang in musicals and revues, and on TV. In 1953, he finally made his stage debut in Flensburg;
1954–57 in Mainz and 1957–59 in Essen, he came to the Cologne opera theater in 1959 – and sang there until 1984
(and even longer as a guest). Other than in Cologne, he appeared at the Monnaie in Brussels, at the Teatro Colón, the
Städtische Oper Berlin, in Frankfurt, Zürich, Munich, Stuttgart, Bologna, at the Staatsoper Vienna and at La Scala. From
1972, he also taught voice in Saarbrücken.
He sang primarily, but not exclusively dramatic parts: Stolzing, Loge (perhaps his most important role), Tannhäuser, Samson,
Otello, Stiffelio, Radames, Canio, German, Kaiser, Hoffmann, Duca...
Reference 1: Kutsch & Riemens, reference 2
