Christoph von weitzel - baritone
BIO
CHRISTOPH von WEITZEL - Baritone
"Weitzel's song interpretation penetrates into the existential. It is not only the beautiful singing that is
interesting, but also the sense of words intensified by the music, with which fundamental emotional situations
are described." What Gerhard Rohde writes about the singer in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reflects
Weitzel's concern: Starting from the word to fathom the music, to deal intensively with the meaning in order
to rediscover the true and the beautiful.
Christoph von Weitzel's warm baritone is not only a sensual experience due to the volume of sound and
fullness of the words. His musical presence is also supported by his physical appearance: with his "hero's
chest and lion's curls" (Info 3), he completely fulfils the classical idea of a charismatic singer. His successful
project "Opera for the Homeless - Winterreise - Lieder werden zur Großen Oper" also lives entirely from
Weitzel's strength to carry a "one-man opera" on his own.
Christoph von Weitzel completed his vocal studies with Professor John Lester (USA) and Barry Mora at the
Frankfurt Opera. There, during the sensational Gielen era, the budding singer experienced a wide range of
valuable musical and artistic stimuli through his daily experience of the opera business beyond his studies.
His participation in Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's Lied masterclass, and in particular his work with Kammersänger
Walter Berry, shaped his artistic development.
"The Happy Wanderer" - Robert Schumann
OPERA
Engagements have taken him to the Salzburger Landestheater, the Vogtland Theater Plauen and the
Mainfranken Theater Würzburg as a permanent member.
He has sung as a guest at the operas in Frankfurt, the Nuremberg Opera, the theatres in Zwickau and
Regensburg and the "Alte Oper" in Frankfurt, among others. Christoph von Weitzel has performed as an
opera guest and in recital at opera festivals in Austria, Italy, England, Spain, the Czech Republic, Denmark,
Poland, New Zealand and South Africa. His opera roles are „Conte Almaviva“ and „Figaro“ in Mozarts „Le
nozze di Figaro“, „Wolfram“ in R. Wagners „Tannhäuser“, „Scarpia“ in G. Puccinis „Tosca“, „Rigoletto“ in G.
Verdi ́s „Rigoletto, and many more just to mention a few.
CDs, Television, Radio
Radio (e.g. M. Durufé's Requiem) and television productions as well as CD recordings with works by
contemporary H. Schmidt, "Winterreise" (F. Schubert) and the complete opera recording of the part
"Helwich" ("Der Schmied von Marienburg", Siegfried Wagner), "Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen – The most
beautiful German popular songs", "Macht hoch die Tür- The most beautiful German Christmas songs", "The
most beautiful songs of East Prussia (Ostpreussen)" and "Dem Wasser zu singen" document his artistic
work.
Social issues, "Opera for the homeless"
Former Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmid and former Federal President Christian Wulff, among others, are
patrons of Christoph von Weitzel's project "Opera for the Homeless - Winterreise – Songs become Grand
Opera", in which the staged version of this work serves as a medium to raise awareness of the increasing
plight of homeless people and the work of their helpers.
With this project, he made a name for himself far beyond the world of music in West Germany.
"Opera for Shelter" in Berlin Central Station
Repertoire
Christoph von Weitzel's concert repertoire spans the European music literature of four centuries, as well as
contemporary composers such as Gerhard Schedl, Wilfried Hiller, Franz Ersamus Spannheimer and Hartmut
Schmidt.
Above all, however, is the song:
He made a name for himself particularly with the staged versions of Schubert ́s song cycles and the
development of new forms of presentation and formats of song recitals. The Frankfurter Rundschau wrote
about Weitzel's interpretation of Winterreise: "With his powerful voice, he brings the melancholy, disillusioned
undertone of this Schubertian end-time work to life in a stirring way".
He is particularly involved in the development of new forms and formats for recitals. In addition to the staged
song recitals, he has also developed commented song recitals such as "Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen -
Christoph von Weitzel sings and comments on the most beautiful German folk songs", in which interesting
information on the respective theme and the stories contained therein is conveyed in a dramaturgically
narrative process.
Christoph von Weitzel is creative in the development of new formats of song recitals.
Lieder recitals regularly take him to numerous German and European concert halls and festivals such as
Frankfurt (Alte Oper), Munich (Gasteig), Berlin (Palais am Festungsgraben), Aberdeen (Haddo House),
Hamburg (Laeizehalle), Mozartfest Würzburg, Mosel Musikfestival, Hohenloher Kultursommer, Fränkischer
Sommer, Schubertiade Roskilde Denmark, in Italy and many others. As well as to other continents such as
New Zealand and South Africa. He is the founder and director of the festival: "Dein LIED Internationales
Festival des Liedes", www.dein-lied.com and the „Orangerie-Konzerte Schloss Unternzenn“,