Bernd Weikl (born 29 July 1942)[1] is an Austrian
operaticbaritone, particularly known for his performances in the stage works by
Richard Wagner. He also has written books and directed operas.
Career
Born in Vienna, he moved with his family to
Mainz when he was ten years old.[1] Weikl studied first in Mainz, national economics, and from 1962 to 1965 at
the conservatory.[1] He then studied voice at the
Musikhochschule Hannover with Naan Pöld und William Reimer). He made his stage debut as Ottokar in Weber's Der Freischütz at the
Staatsoper Hannover.[1] From 1970 to 1973 he was a member of the company at the
Düsseldorf Opera.[2]
Weikl has performed around 120 roles during his career, in five languages.[1] He is known for Hans Sachs in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,[3] which he has sung in major opera houses of the world. Other roles include:
Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (1760-1802) Balladen with Wolfgang Sawallisch on piano Die Entführung (The Abduction), Des Pfarrers Tochter von Taubenhain (The Pastor's Daughter of Taubenhain) (1983) (Orfeo)
Book publications
Weikl has published books about German music, including Swastikas on Stage[4][5] and Freispruch für Richard Wagner? (Acquittal for Richard Wagner?).[6]