René Pape
Acting
"RenĂ© Papeâs 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 Yorkâs Metropolitan Opera his operatic âhome away from home.â 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: MĂ©phistophĂ©lĂšs 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 â home of the Berlin State Opera â 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 Papeâs performances as King Marke in Tristan und Isolde; King Heinrich in Lohengrin; Sarastro in Mozartâs Die Zauberflöte; Pogner in DieMeistersinger; Rocco in Beethovenâs Fidelio; Fasolt in Das Rheingold; Hunding in Die WalkĂŒre; and the title role in Don Giovanni. The opera house was also the venue for Papeâs appearances as Ramfis in Verdiâs Aida; Figaro in Mozartâs Le nozze di Figaro; Leporello in Don Giovanni; and Orest in Straussâs Elektra. Papeâs 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 âECHOâ 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.
