Gerd Brenneis

Gerd Brenneis (1 March 1930, Nienhagen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – 13 March 2003, Güstrow ) was a German operatic tenor who had an active international career from the late 1950s through the 1990s. Known for his interpretations of the works of Richard Wagner, he worked as a principal artist at many of the world's great opera houses, including the Deutsche Oper Berlin, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Vienna State Opera.

Life and career Brenneis was trained in the opera studio of the Berlin State Opera (BSO) where he began his performance career in the opera chorus during the 1950s. In 1958 he performed in the world premiere of Darius Milhaud's Fiesta at the BSO. In 1959 he began his career as a principal tenor at the Essen Opera House where he first appeared as Don Curzio in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. His first major critical success came soon after at that house in the title role of Britten's Albert Herring. In 1988 he portrayed Siegfried in a complete production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Opéra de Nice. Other important engagements included the Liceu (1977), New Orleans Opera (1977), the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (1984), Teatro Regio di Turino (1984, 1988), and Pretoria Opera (1985). In 1981 he sang Lonengrin for his debut at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.

He portrayed the title role in the 1992 film version of Wagner's Rienzi with Jeannine Altmeyer as Irene. Other roles he performed on stage included Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos and Tristan in Tristan und Isolde. He was named a Kammersänger of the city of Berlin.