After studying in Berlin, tenor Max Lorenz made his debut at the Dresden Staatsoper as Walther (Tannhäuser), becoming a principal tenor in 1928. From 1933 he was at the Berlin Staatsoper, and he also appeared at the Metropolitan, making his debut as Walther (Die Meistersinger) in 1931 and singing there until 1934 and again in 1947-50; he also sang at Bayreuth (from 1933 and in 1952) and Covent Garden (1934, 1937). He joined the Vienna Staatsoper in 1937 and appeared at many Salzburg festivals, creating roles in such new works as von Einem’s Der Prozess (Josef K., 1953), Liebermann’s Penelope (1954) and Wagner-Regeny’s Das Bergwerk zu Falun (1961). Lorenz was a prominent Wagnerian tenor, celebrated as Tristan, Siegfried and Walther in particular; he was also a notable Florestan, Otello, Bacchus (Strauss’s Ariadne) and Herod. (Peter Branscombe)
This recording was made in Bayreuth, 1936.