Leon Geitler

20 September 1884 Prague – 19 August 1933 Prague

He started to study law, but soon switched to taking voice lessons instead, and made his debut in Plzeň in 1907, as Lohengrin.

He spent the 1908/09 season in Brno, 1909/10 at the Theater of the United Towns of East Bohemia. From 1910 to 1915, he was back to Plzeň.

In 1920, he was part of the very first troupe of the Slovak National Theater in Bratislave; from 1920 to 1923, he sang in České Budějovice, and after that at the Vinohradské and Urania Theaters in Prague. As a guest, he appeared in Krakow and at the Vienna Volksoper. He sang until 1932 (the last few years as a comprimario), then he became a stage manager at the National Theater in Prague, where he had made several guest appearances from 1910 to 1932. But after just ten months in his new job, he died.

Reference 1, reference 2 and picture source

Leon Geitler sings Písně Závišovy: Zda si někdy vzpomínáte
Písně Závišovy is a song cycle by Rudolf Friml – yes, the "Indian love call" Friml! He was originally Czech, and Písně Závišovy is his opus no. 1!

Many thanks to Anton Bieber for the recording and label scan.


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