Rudolf Herrmann
n.d.
Otto Schelper, German bass-baritone (1844-1906)

Cabinet card
Private collection of T. Max Hochstetler
Otto Schelper was a renowned bass-baritone who had a long history with the Leipzig opera. He was born 10 April, 1844 at Rostock. His career on the Leipzig stage began in 1876, where he sang the role of Wotan in Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelungen." In the bust profile portrait made by Rudolf Herrmann he is shown in costume from Aim'e Maillart's opera, "The Hermit's Bell" ("Das Glockchen des Eremiten").
 
Schelper had large baritone repertoire singing in Mahler's "The Three Pintos," "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" and "Trumpeters von Sackingen," two opera by Nessler, and as Telarmund in Wagner's opera "Lohengrin," and as Agamemnon in Weingartner's opera, "Orestes."
 
Otto Schelper has "helden baritone voice" that allowed him to sing both baritone and bass roles when called upon. Beyond Leipzig he is known to have performed in Wagner opera at London (1882) and sang the baritone parts in Brahm's "Requiem" at the Cathedral of Bremen in April 1888.
 
Schelper died in Leipzig on 10 January, 1906 and is buried there.
 
(Kindly contributed by T. Max Hochstetler, June 2007)
 
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