Robert Leonhardt (December 27, 1872 – February 2, 1923) was an Austrian operatic baritone who sang several notable roles with the New York Metropolitan Opera between 1913 and 1922. He made numerous recordings for major record labels, both in Europe and in the United States.

Biography Leonhardt was born in 1872 in Linz. His operatic debut was in 1898, in Linz. For four years he found permanent employment at the German Theatre in Prague starting in 1905.

Specializing in Wagnerian roles, he sang in Brno from 1909 to 1911, and from 1911 until 1913 with the Vienna Volksoper while also guesting with the Vienna Imperial Opera in 1909 and the Berlin Gura Summer Opera in 1910. In October 1913 it was announced that Leonhardt had joined the New York Metropolitan opera.

Sailing from Bremen, he endured a difficult voyage before arriving in the U.S. on November 6. He first appeared on stage for his new employer in December in the role of Peter in Engelbert Humperdinck's opera Hänsel und Gretel. Receiving critical acclaim for his work in this role, he would appear in Met productions over the course of the next nine years.

He was expected to appear in an expanded role at the met, but world circumstances would prevent this. Beginning in December 1917 he billed himself as "Robert Leonard" to distance himself from his Germanic heritage. Nevertheless, Leonhardt, a citizen of Austria, was dropped by the New York Met in April 1918 because of his status as an enemy alien despite continued critical praise. The opera's manager, Mr. Gatti, expressed his regret at having to make such a move. Leonhardt's wife and children resided in Vienna for the duration of the war.

After the war his employment recommenced with the Met and he was performing on stage again as of November 1920. Here he continued to perform until shortly before his death. He developed an illness from which he never recovered and died at St. Mark's Hospital in New York City on February 2, 1923.

Performance style Reviews of Leonhardt's performances are wide-ranging. He has been noted for a "dark, steely, throaty bass" with mundane performance, although this is perhaps due to Leonhardt being out of his voice's comfort zone regarding range. Conversely, he was noted for having a "luscious and lovely Italian voice" with a splendid, spontaneous sense of humor.

Operatic roles

United States Year Company Opera Role Notes 1910 Gura Summer Opera Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg Beckmesser 1910 Gura Summer Opera Der Ring des Nibelungen Alberich 1913 New York Met Hänsel und Gretel Peter debut with the New York Met 1914 Boston Opera Company Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg Beckmesser 1914 New York Met Königskinder Innkeeper 1914 New York Met Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Nachtigall 1914 New York Met Der Rosenkavalier Faninal 1914 New York Met L'Amore Medico Macroton U.S. Premier 1914 New York Met Die Zauberflöte Papageno 1914 New York Met La Bohème Benoit 1914 New York Met Tosca Sacristan 1915 New York Met Carmen Dancaïre 1915 New York Met Madame Sans-Gêne Leroy World Premiere 1915 New York Met Fidelio Second Prisoner 1915 New York Met Siegfried Alberich 1915 New York Met La Bohème Alcindoro 1915 New York Met Manon Innkeeper 1916 New York Met The Taming of the Shrew Hortensio 1916 New York Met Iphigénie en Tauride Temple Attendant U.S. Premiere 1916 New York Met Lohengrin Herald 1917 New York Met Le Nozze di Figaro Antonio 1917 New York Met The Canterbury Pilgrims The Knight, Man of Law World Premiere 1917 New York Met Tristan und Isolde Melot 1917 New York Met Mârouf Ahmad (Pastry Cook) U.S. Premiere 1918 New York Met Saint Elisabeth (Liszt) Steward 1918 New York Met Le Prophète Anabaptist 1920 New York Met La Juive Ruggiero 1920 New York Met Parsifal Amfortas 1921 New York Met Louise Philosopher 1921 New York Met Andrea Chénier Fouquier Tinville 1921 New York Met The Polish Jew Judge Schmitt U.S. Premiere 1921 New York Met Die tote Stadt Frank U.S. Premiere 1922 New York Met Le roi d'Ys St. Corentin 1922 New York Met Boris Godunov Shchelkalov

Recordings Leonhardt's career are a recording artist may be more important than his performing career. He recorded many popular songs, as well as operatic arias. His recording career began in 1900 for the Gramophone Company, recording prolifically for them through 1905. Many of these recordings were issued in the Standard German Catalogue. Several European recordings also appeared on the International Zonophone and Homokord labels. From 1903 to 1905 he also made records for the European Columbia branch. He recorded cylinders for the Edison company before coming to the United States, and these were marketed in the U.S. to the German-speaking population. After changing his residency to the United States, he continued his recording career with Columbia Records from 1915 through 1920. Although promoted as from the "Metropolitan Opeara Co.", not all of his recordings were operatic and like the Edison cylinders, his records were marketed to German-speaking Americans, in their E-prefix ethnic catalog, and not to the general public. An exception is Record #A2053, to which the prestigious tri-color banner label was applied. This record was released in 1916, and an announcement was made in the English-speaking trade press, but no other records by Leonhardt appeared in this series. His final recordings were made for Victor in 1921 and 1922, also released in their ethnic series. Collectors of operatic recordings were instructed to seek out these ethnic selections of Leonhardt's.

Discography (incomplete)

Note: All Columbia listings are U.S. releases.