Otto Goritz

Otto Goritz (June 8, 1872 - April 13, 1929) was a German baritone with the Metropolitan Opera from 1903 to 1917. He then sang for the Hamburg State Opera. After the USA entered World War I in 1917, the Metropolitan Opera suspended performances of works from the German repertory. Goritz was either fired or forced to resign from the Met after having been rumored to have sung a parody celebrating the 1915 sinking of the at a New Year's Eve party hosted by Met soprano Johanna Gadski in 1916 (Gadski also was forced out of the Met around the same time due to the war and her German links). Goritz nevertheless remained in New York City. In late 1919, he organized the Star Opera Company and attempted to stage German operas at the Lexington Opera House in New York City. The American Legion gathered 23,000 signatures in protest of Goritz and his company; after a riot broke out on opening night, the company was forced to disband. In 1920, Goritz returned to Germany, where he continued to sing with the Hamburg State Opera. He died on April 13, 1929, in Hamburg.

Recordings In the 1910s, Goritz made a number of recordings for Columbia Records, Edison Records, the Victor Talking Machine Company, and other companies. Some of them are available today on compact disc.