- Anton Raaff
Anton Raaff (
6 May 1714 –28 May 1797 ) was a Germantenor from Gelsdorf nearBonn .Career
He studed at the
Jesuit school in Bonn, and the role ofIdomeneo was created for him in 1780. The Elector of Bavaria, Clement Augustus, heard him singing and paid for him to train professionally. Raaff was brought to the capital,Munich , where he was engaged on an annual salary of 2000 thalers.From Munich he was sent toBologna to study the Italian style so he would be able to perform in the prevailing "opera seria " style.In 1738 he was sent to
Vienna to sing at the wedding ceremonies for EmpressMaria Theresa of Austria , after which he was sent on a long period of overseas travel, during which time his fame grew.From 1752 to 1755 he was in
Lisbon , and from 1755 to 1759 inMadrid , where he sang withFarinelli . He worked inNaples from 1759 to 1769, after which he returned to Germany.In the opinion of
Schubart , his was the most beautiful male voice of all time, and his diction perfect in several languages. [Schubart , "Ideen zu einer Aesthetik der Tonkunst", Vienna, 1806.] When Elector Charles Theodore asked him to return home, he said he was not sure the Elector would be happy with him any more; indeed, his talents had begun to wane and Schubart noticed that Raaff's vibrato had become extremely marked.References
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