Elizabeth Schumann & Otakar Marak

as Konigskinder & Kings son "Konigskinder" Humperdinck

Elizabeth Schumann
1888-1952
German Soprano

Studied in Berlin and Dresden. She made her stage debut in Hamburg in 1909. Her initial career started in the lighter soubrette roles that expanded into mostly lyrical roles, some coloratura roles, and even a few dramatic roles. She remained at the Hamburg Opera until 1919, also singing during the 1914/15 season at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. From 1919 to 1938, she was a star of the Vienna State Opera. Her most famous role was that of Sophie in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier; but she also excelled in Mozart, taking the roles of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro.


Otakar Mařák
1872 – 1939
Czech Tenor

Debut in the title role of Charles Gounod's opera Faust on 1 February 1899 in Brno.In the same year he was engaged by the National Theatre in Prague. From 1901, he performed abroad. He was a regular member of the National Theatre between 1899–1901 and again in 1903–1907. In 1907 he left for Paris, where he continued to school his voice then in 1908–1918 performed at London's Covent Garden and Berlin's Komische Oper. Following World War I, Mařák became an American citizen and went on to teach in the country between 1934–1937.He especially excelled in Smetana parts such as Jeník in The Bartered Bride, Dalibor, Ladislav Podhajský in The Two Widows, Lucas in The Kiss as well as in traditional world repertory which saw Mařák play Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Massenet's Werther, Cavaradossi in Tosca and Alfred Germont in La Traviata. He often took on the role of Don José in Bizet's Carmen.