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Theo Adam (1926-2019)

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Theo Adam (1926-2019) In memoriam: Theo Adam (1926-2019) Foto © United Archives/imago Den 10 januari 2019 mottog vi beskedet att operasångaren Theo Adam hade gått ur tiden, 92 år gammal. För många är han en av de stora Wagnersångarna i modern tid. Han fick en mycket lång karriär och sjöng bland annat under 28 års tid i Bayreuth. Adam debuterade i sin hemstad Dresden redan 1949 och sjöng sin sista Wotan på Metropolitan 1988. Hans röst hade stor auktoritet och var en typisk basbaryton; klar och tydlig i diktion och klang och hade ett robust djup. Höjden var tillräckligt bra för att klara de dramatiska partierna, medan mellanläget och det låga registret hade en blank och stabil klang. På skiva är Adam välrepresenterad i allt från Mozart Trollflöjten( och Così fan tutte) till Hans och Greta, Friskytten med Carlos Kleiber, Fidelio och Wozzeck till ett antal suveräna Wagnerinspelningar. 1966-67 var en blott 40-årig Theo Adam den nya Wotan i Bayreuth i en suverän Ring under ledning av Karl Böhm som sedan kom ut komplett på skiva medBirgit Nilsson i toppform som Brünnhilde. Adam klarar det låga partiet i Valkyrians andra akt mycket bra, men allra bäst är han som Wanderer i Siegfried. Även Marek Janowski valde Theo Adam som Wotan i sin Ring, inspelad i början av 1980-talet. Där hade Adams röst åldrats, men klingade desto mer Wotan – bittrare, skäggigare och mer maktsjuk. Till mina personliga favoriter hör hans tolkning av Holländaren medOtto Klemperer från 1968 och framför alltDie Meistersinger med Herbert von Karajan 1970, där Theo Adams röst för alltid kommer att förknippas med Hans Sachs, en roll han gestaltade med vishet, humor och värme och dessutom göra trovärdig som en betydligt äldre man än han i själva verket var. Theo Adam gästade Stockholmsoperan som Wotan i Valkyrian den 7 mars 1973. Där sjöng han med Siv Wennberg, Birgit Nilsson, Kim Borg, Margareta Hallin och Kerstin Meyer på scenen. Ingen dålig line-up, direkt. Silvio Varviso var gästdirigent. Theo Adam blev gästprofessor på Musikhögskolan i Dresden, där han mot slutet av karriären undervisade i sång. Han författade även fem böcker om opera och sitt liv och leverne. Carl Asker Jag såg honom som Wotan mot Birgit Nilsson i Stockholm. Han var den mest komplette Wotan man kan tänka sig. Stor varm och vacker röst utan någon som helst begränsning – och en lysande skådespelare. Erik Graune Theo Adam var i bästa bemärkelse en scenartist. Hans rollporträtt var alltid fullfjädrat pregnanta i uttrycket, men detta till trots gav han alltid akt på ensemblespelet. Hans röst var markant och spände från djup bas till de högre regionerna skrivna för basbaryton. Spännvidden medgav en repertoar som sträckte sig från Trollflöjtens Sarastro till Jochanaan i Salome. I sina läsvärda böcker resonerade Adam mycket om rollgestaltning och nödvändigheten av att prioritera kommunikationen med åhöraren. Ett tydligt fokus på texten och ett rättframt sångligt framförande gjorde att publiken sällan gick miste om budskapet; skrämmande som Don Pizarro och tillbakalutat filosoferande som Hans Sachs. Under två decennier dominerade Adam som Wotan och spände en suverän båge från Rhenguldet till Siegfried, där han i tredje akten gav en omskakande upplevelse i scenerna med Erda och Siegfrid. Alexander Husebye CD-rekommendationer: © Decca © RCA © Warner.
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