Josef Tichatschek
also Joseph Tichatschek, Joseph Aloys Tichatscheck, Josef Ticháček
Birthplace: Ober-Weckelsdorf, Austrian Empire (now Teplice nad Metují, Czech Republic)
The first of the great Wagner tenors, and effectively the original heldentenor. He gave up medical studies in Vienna for singing lessons with Giuseppe Ciccimarra, joined the Kärntnertortheater chorus in 1830 and worked up to principal roles at Graz; a Dresden debut in 1837 brought a permanent appointment. He stayed until 1870, creating Rienzi in 1842 and Tannhäuser in 1845. Wagner called his voice "a wonder of a beautiful male voice" and chose him for the 1867 Munich Lohengrin: he sang the rehearsals at fifty-nine and moved Cornelius deeply, but the king replaced him for the performances over his appearance.
Creations
- Tannhäuser (Heinrich) — Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg (Dresden, 1845)
Written from
- Wikipedia (2026) Josef Tichatschek. (Accessed: August 2026).
- Warrack, J. (1992) 'Tichatschek, Joseph [Ticháček, Josef] (Aloys)', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 733-734.