Karl Streitmann by Rockwood

Karl Streitmann (1858-1937); Austrian tenor.
In 1879 he started his career at the Wiener Carl-Theater; here he performed both as an actor and as a singer for the next three years. In 1882 he was engaged by the Landestheater Prag where he started singing operetta. In guest appearances he switched to opera roles like Don José in "Carmen", Tamino in "Die Zauberflöte", Wilhelm Meister in "Mignon" and even Manrico in "Il Trovatore". In 1885 he left Prague for an engagement at the Theater an der Wien, where he became one of the most popular operetta singers of the Austrian capital. Here he created in 1885 the role of Barinkay in Johann Strauss' "Der Zigeunerbaron". He sang at numerous operetta premières; the best known are "Simplicius" (1887), "Der Obersteiger" (1894), "Fürstin Ninetta" (1895), "Waldmeister" (1895), "Die Göttin der Vernunft" (1896), "Der Rastelbinder" (1902), "Der Göttergatte" (1904) and "Der Schätzmeister" (1904). In 1888 he made a successful guest appearance at the Hofoper Berlin performing the role of Lyonel in Von Flotow's opera "Martha". In 1889 he undertook a major tour through the USA; he sang the role of Barinkay at the American première of "Der Zigeunerbaron" in New York. After three years he returned in 1892 to the Wiener Theater in Vienna. His last public performances were in 1922.