Jan Kiepura - Biography

Jan Wiktor Kiepura (May 16, 1902, Sosnowiec, Poland – August 15, 1966, Harrison, New York, U.S.) was an acclaimed Polish singer (tenor) and actor.

Biography

Jan Kiepura's parents were Franciszek (a baker) and Miriam (a violist). He was born of a Jewish mother and a Polish father. The mother was baptised in order to get married. During 1916-1920 he attended the Junior School in Sosnowiec where he passed the Matura exam. In 1921 he studied law at the University of Warsaw. He learned singing from Wacław Brzeziński and Tadeusz Leliwa. In 1923, in the cinema "Sfinks" in Sosnowiec took place the first concert. In 1924 Kiepura was admitted by Emil Młynarski to choir. He played the role of Góral in Moniuszko's Halka. He also took part in a production of Gounod's Faust in Lwow.

In 1926 he left Poland. Before World War II, he built a well-known hotel, "Patria", in Krynica-Zdrój, which cost him about US$3 million. Some Polish movies were made there. He played in twelve musicals, including O czym się nie myśli (1926), Die Singende Stadt (Neapol, śpiewające miasto) (1930), Tout Pour L'amour (Zdobyć cię muszę) (1933), and Mon coeur t'appelle (1934).

Return to Warsaw

Kiepura's arrivals caused sensation in capital of Poland and his shows evoked huge enthusiasm. Apart from performances in concert halls he also sang to a crowd gathered under the balcony of hotel "Bristol". He also sang while standing on the car's roof, from carriage's window. He also spoke to the audience. However, he was not a frequent guest in Poland. He signed contacts with Opera Convert Garden in London, Opéra Comique in Paris and National Opera in Berlin. Kiepura also started a film career while firstly co-operating with Berlin's UFA and then with Motion Picture Industry in Hollywood. He played in mamy films but the most famous are: The Singing City, The Song of Night, Ich liebe alle Frauen, The Charm of La Boheme, Das Land des Lächeln.

Marriage

On October 31, 1936, Kiepura married the lyric soprano Marta Eggerth (b. 1912). The two often sang together in operettas, in concerts, on records, and in films until his death. Kiepura and Eggerth (both of whom had Jewish mothers) were forced to flee Europe due to the rise of Nazism and the onset of World War II. They emigrated to the United States.

Death

He died at the age of 64 in Harrison, New York from heart attack during a call, after receiving unfavorable news from one of his financial agents, and was buried in Powązki Cemetery, Warsaw.

Chronology

• 1927: performances in Budapest, Berlin, Vienna, London (Royal Albert Hall), Stuttgart, Munich and Prague. Faust, Calaf, and Stranger ("Miracle Heliana" Korngold) in Vienna. Concerts in Warsaw, Lvov, Gdansk.
• 1928: performances in Budapest, a three-year contract with La Scala, debut in the role of Calaf, and then he sings well and Mascarila Cavaradossiego the premiere of "Le Preziosa ridicole" Lattuady under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. Cavaradossi in Paris with a team of the Vienna Staatsoper. Cavaradossi in Warsaw and Poznan. Concerts in Kraków, Warsaw and Poznan.
• 1929: performances in Budapest (Calaf), Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires (Cavaradossi, the Duke of Mantua, Alfredo in "La Traviata"), Montevideo, Frankfurt. Cavaradossi, the Duke of Mantua, Rodolfo ("La Bohème" Puccinigo) and a concert in Warsaw.
• 1930: The throat disease reduces for some time his performances at opera houses. Film career, becoming one of the first European cinema idols sound. The film, "Naples, singing the city"(London). Cavaradossi in.
• 1931: Knight des Grieux in "Manon" Massenet's La Scala in Milan. He sang in Hamburg and Chicago. Cavaradossi in Warsaw. Concerts in Warsaw, Poznan and Lvov.
• 1932: the movie "Song of the Night " (Berlin), concerts in Warsaw and Poznan.
• 1933: The film "I need to get you"(Berlin). Calaf in Warsaw. Opens Hotel "Patria" in Krynica.
• 1934: The movie "I sing for you"(London), Cavaradossi in Berlin, Warsaw Faust, Cavaradossi, Knight des Grieux and Rodolfo at the Paris Opera Comique, in Krynica concert for flood victims.
• 1935: Cavaradossi in Kraków, a concert in Berlin, the film "I love all women" (Ciné-Alliance for UFA), awarded the Polish Gold Cross of Merit and the Knight's Cross of the French Legion of Honour.
• 1936: Movies 'Love Song' (USA) and "sunshine" (Vienna), married Oct. 30 in Katowice, Martha Eggerth, an Austrian actress and singer of Hungarian descent, has performed for the construction of the National Museum in Kraków, awarded the Officer's Cross, Order of Polonia Restituta and the Belgian Order of Leopold I.
• 1937: concerts in Kraków and Paris, the film "Bohemian Charm" (Vienna), Swedish Cross North, Warsaw Philharmonic concerts in the winter to help the poor population.
• 1938: Debut at New York's Metropolitan Opera (from 10 February to 9 April there occurred 13 times in the office and at the venue the band in Boston and Cleveland, he sang Rodolfo (4 times), Don José in "Carmen" by Bizet (4 times) Duke of Mantua (4 times) and participated in a concert gigs in Warsaw (Don José).
• 1939: from 10 February to 10 April there are 15 times at the Metropolitan Opera and the guest appearances of this syndrome in Boston, Cleveland, Dallas and Rochester, he sang Rodolfo (5 times), Chevalier des Grieux (5 times), Duke of Mantua (2 times ) Cavaradossiego (once) and participated in two concerts, summer concerts in Cieszyn, Poznan, Gdynia, and after World War II in Paris and France Polonia centers.
• 1940: The Nazis place him in the Lexikon der Juden in der Musik (Lexicon of Jewish musicians), he returned to America, giving concerts to Poles in Montreal (to 1944 associated with the Civic Opera of Chicago).
• 1942: the switch. February and March, again appeared with the New York Metropolitan Opera, singing there for only five: Don José Cavaradossiego (2 times), Duke of Mantua's aria in a concert and a show lounge Rodolfo team in Philadelphia (in total for the years 1939-1942 he sang with MET 1922 Times in New York and 11 times during the performances in other cities).
• 1943: the movie "My song for you"(USA), he rented the Majestic Theater on Broadway, where he and his wife took part as Danilo in "The Merry Widow" Lehar who is extremely popular, he made the presentation to tour other U.S. cities And after the war, even after Britain, France, Italy and Germany, singing "widow"in four languages).
• 1946: exhibited at the Majestic Theater musical "Polonaise" Bronislaw Kapera the recitals of Chopin's music.
• 1948: he returned with his family to Europe and settled for six years in Paris, the new version of the movie "bohemian charm" (Rome).
• 1949: The film "Valse brillante"(Paris), performing with his wife in "Czardas Princess" on stage Kálmán Théâtre de Paris.
• 1952: the movie "Land of Smiles" (West Berlin), re-settled in America, buying property in Rye, New York, which did not interrupt his performances in Europe.
• 1954: The title role in "Carewiczu" Lehar's Viennese Raimundtheater on stage.
• 1956: title role in "Paganini" Lehar's Viennese Raimundtheater on stage.
• 1958: visited Poland twice, performed in Bydgoszcz, Gdansk, Lodz, Katowice, Kraków, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw.
• 1959: re-sung in Poland, he returned to the role Daniły in the "Merry Widow"on stage in New York.
• 1960: concerts in West Berlin.
• 1965: Danilo in "The Merry Widow" in West Berlin.
• 1966: last appearance (13 August) in Portchester for the Polish American community.

<references />

External links

• Photographs and literature
• History of the Tenor - Sound Clips and Narration
• See also Marcel Prawy, producer and personal secretary of Jan Kiepura and Marta Eggerth from 1938-1943