A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Schott, Anton

SCHOTT, Anton, born June 25, 1846, at Staufeneck in Suabia, was educated at the military academy at Ludwigsburg, Würtemberg, and served as an artillery officer through the war of 1866. Some time after, his voice attracted the attention of Pischek, and of the wife of Professor David Strauss, well known in Germany before her marriage as Agnes Schebest, a singer of note, from the latter of whom he had much instruction preparatory to his appearance on the stage. On May 8, 1870, Herr Schott made his début at Frankfort, as Max in 'Der Freischütz,' with such success that he determined to abandon the army in favour of music, though prevented for a time by the outbreak of the war of 1870, through which he served and obtained his captaincy. At the close of the war he left the army and appeared at the opera in Berlin, Schwerin, and Hanover, where he is now engaged. He has also played in Vienna and elsewhere in Germany and Austria, with great success. He sang in England, June 16, 1879, at a piano recital given by Dr. von Bülow at St. James's Hall, at a second recital, and at a New Philharmonic concert, in all which he was well received. He appeared Jan. 10, 1880, at Her Majesty's Theatre (Carl Rosa), as Fienzi, and afterwards as Lohengrin; but though his appearance and voice are both magnificent, his singing had hardly the success which might have been expected from his reputation in Germany. There he is regarded as one of the best operatic tenors of the day, especially in 'heroic parts'; his repertoire is large, and consists, besides those mentioned, of Tannhäuser, John of Leyden, raoul, Robert, Vasco di Gama, Manrico, Masaniello, Ferdinand Cortez, and Benvenuto Cellini—the last on its production at Hanover under Dr. Hans von Bülow. More recently he has studied further with Professor Blume, and on Feb. 8, 1881, created the part of Azim in Stanford's 'Veiled Prophet of Khorassan,' on its production at Hanover.

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