René Pape
"René Pape’s bass showed considerable velvet sheen and elegant dynamic play; purely as singing and star presence, he impressed." Born in Dresden, Black Diamond Bass Rene Pape has been a member of the Berlin State Opera since 1988, but considers New York’s Metropolitan Opera his operatic “home away from home.” Since his house debut in 1995, he has appeared every season at the Met, in 18 roles and more than 160 performances, including four major debuts: Méphistophélès in Faust, Gurnemanz in Parsifal, Escamillo in Carmen, and the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila. But it was at the famous Unter den Linden – home of the Berlin State Opera – where Pape honed most of the great roles of his career. Music Director Daniel Barenboim was an early supporter, and the Berlin State Opera has played host to Pape’s performances as King Marke in Tristan und Isolde; King Heinrich in Lohengrin; Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; Pogner in DieMeistersinger; Rocco in Beethoven’s Fidelio; Fasolt in Das Rheingold; Hunding in Die Walküre; and the title role in Don Giovanni. The opera house was also the venue for Pape’s appearances as Ramfis in Verdi’s Aida; Figaro in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro; Leporello in Don Giovanni; and Orest in Strauss’s Elektra. Pape’s first CD of solo arias, Gods, Kings & Demons, was released in 2008 on Deutsche Grammophon with his hometown orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Sebastian Weigle. The disc won a coveted “ECHO” award, the German equivalent of a Grammy. Pape performs regularly in major opera houses, concert halls, and symphony orchestras around the world, as well as opera festivals such as Bayreuth, Glyndebourne, Lucerne, Orange, Saint-Petersburg, Salzburg, Verbier and White Nights. He currently resides in Austria and Berlin.
Known For
Credits
- 2022 · Giacomo Puccini: Turandot as Timur
- 2021 · Metropolitan Opera: Boris Godunov as Boris
- 2021 · The Metropolitan Opera: Boris Godunow as
- 2021 · Die Zauberflöte aus der Semperoper Dresden as Sarastro
- 2020 · Metropolitan Opera At Home Gala as Self
- 2019 · Verdi: Simon Boccanegra (Salzburg Festival) as Jacopo Fiesco
- 2018 · Wagner: Tristan und Isolde as König Marke
- 2017 · The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute as Sarastro
- 2017 · The Metropolitan Opera: Die Zauberflöte as Sarastro
- 2017 · Schumann - Scenes from Goethe's Faust as Mephistopheles
- 2016 · The Metropolitan Opera: Tristan und Isolde as King Marke
- 2016 · Parsifal as Gurnemanz
- 2016 · Mefistofele as Mefistofele
- 2015 · Verdi: Macbeth as Banco
- 2014 · Macbeth as Banquo
- 2014 · The Metropolitan Opera: Macbeth as Banquo
- 2014 · Tannhäuser as Hermann, Landgraf von Thüringen
- 2014 · MDR um 4 as Self
- 2013 · Wagner : Parsifal as Gurnemanz
- 2013 · Wagner: Das Rheingold as Wotan
- 2013 · Mozart Requiem - Claudio Abbado & Lucerne Festival Orchestra as Self - Bass
- 2013 · Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Requiem - Claudio Abbado as
- 2013 · Verdi: Requiem as
- 2013 · Solti Centenary Concert as bass
- 2013 · Parsifal as Gurnemanz
- 2012 · Lohengrin: Opera romantica in tre atti as Heinrich der Vogler
- 2011 · Gounod: Faust as Mephistophélès
- 2011 · Faust (Covent Garden) as Méphistophélès
- 2011 · Salzburg Festival Opening Concert as Self
- 2010 · Hunter's Bride as Eremit
- 2010 · The Metropolitan Opera: Boris Godunov as Boris Godunov
- 2010 · Strauss R: Elektra as Orest
- 2008 · Wagner: Tristan und Isolde as König Marke (bass)
- 2006 · The Magic Flute as Sarastro
- 2006 · The Magic Flute as Sarastro
- 2006 · The Magic Flute as Sarastro
- 2003 · Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio as Rocco
- 2001 · Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg as
- 2000 · Beethoven: Fidelio as Rocco
- 1999 · Tristan und Isolde as King Marke
- 1999 · Le nozze di Figaro as Figaro
- 1998 · Samson et Dalila as Un vieillard hébreu
- 1998 · Lebensläufe as Self
- 1992 · Riverboat as Self
- 1991 · Mozart Requiem as Self