Born Fritz Herz, he studied voice with Hermann Grün for just one year, from 1891 to 1892, then he started as
an operatic tenor at secondary theaters: his debut as Sylvain (Les dragons de Villars) took place at the
Rudolfsheimer Volkstheater in Vienna, then he sang Turiddu and Canio in Bad Ischl. From 1893 to 1896, he was a
comprimario in Cologne and Bonn.
Then he found his vocation as an operetta tenor. He had a long career, primarily in Vienna (Theater an der Wien, Carltheater,
Bürgertheater, Johann-Strauß-Theater), Munich (Gärtnerplatztheater) and Berlin (Theater des Westens, Berliner
Theater, Metropoltheater); guest appearances in Hamburg, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Zürich. He retired in 1926.
Werner took part in numerous operetta world premieres, such as Ein Walzertraum by Oscar Straus (Niki was Werner's most
famous part), Rund um die Liebe by the same composer, Der Frauenfresser and Der lachende Ehemann, both
by Eysler, Das Hollandweibchen by Kálmán, Die Winzerbraut by Oscar Nedbal or Mädi by
Robert Stolz. Other important roles in his repertory: Rosefleur (Der Schmetterling by Karl Rudolf Weinberger), the
title character in Eysler's Bruder Straubinger, Eisenstein, Jan Janicki (Bettelstudent, Paris (La belle
Hélène), Lancelot (La poupée by Audran), Celestin (Mam'zelle Nitouche by Hervé)
or Reginald (The geisha by Sidney Jones).
Werner was also a composer and a stage director.
Reference: Kutsch & Riemens
Picture source
Many thanks to Anton Bieber for the recording and label scan.
