Another week of encores! Dead Tenors’ Society is showcasing a collection of previously featured vocalists in recordings never before heard on this channel.
Peter Anders (1908-1954) was a versatile German tenor who excelled in opera, operetta and Lieder. Born Emil Anders in Essen to a civil servant and his wife, he exhibited musical talent at an early age. The family moved to Berlin following the First World War and the future tenor took a keen interest in local operatic productions. By the time he was in his late teens, Anders had decided that he wanted to pursue a career as an opera singer. At age 20 he began studies with Ernst Grenzenbach (mentor to famed Heldentenor Max Lorenz) and eventually moved on to the opera program of the Berlin Academy of Music. He also studied with contralto Lula Mysz-Gmeiner, whose daughter eventually became his wife.
Anders was engaged as a character tenor by the Heidelberg Municipal Theater, where he made his debut in 1932. Among his early roles during