A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Wachtel, Theodor

WACHTEL, Theodor, born March 10, 1823 or 1824, at Hamburg, the son of a stable-keeper, began life by driving his father's cabs. He learnt to sing from Mme. Grandjean, and obtained operatic engagements at Schwerin, Dresden, Hanover (1854), Berlin, Darmstadt, Vienna, etc. On June 7, 1862, he made his début in England at the Royal Italian Opera as Edgardo in 'Lucia,' and failed completely. He sang there again in the seasons of 1864 and 1865 with better results; and indeed obtained a certain popularity, more on account of his fine and powerful voice than from any artistic use he made of it. His principal attraction was the way he produced a C in alt direct from the chest instead of by the customary falsetto; he brought out the note with Stentorian vigour and great success, especially when he played Manrico or Arnold. Of his other parts may be named Stradella on the production of Flotow's opera of that name at the Royal Italian Opera, June 4, 1864, and Vasco de Gama on the production of 'L'Africaine' in England, July 22, 1865. Here appeared in 1870 and again in 1877 at Her Majesty's. In 1869 he sang in Paris with very indifferent results, but has been successful in America both in German and Italian opera. Two of his most popular characters in Germany are George Brown ('Dame Blanche') and Chapelon ('Postilion'), especially the latter, in which he affords great delight to his audiences by the dexterous manner in which he cracks a coachman's whip in the Postilion's song. His son, Theodor, began life as a clockmaker; and at one period of his life was a tenor singer of the same calibre as his father. He died of consumption in Jan. 1871, aged 30.

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