Reinald Werrenrath was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., August 7, 1883. His
father, George Werrenrath, was a distinguished singer, and his mother
(nee Aretta Camp) is the daughter of Henry Camp, who was for many years
musical director of Plymouth Church during the ministry there of Henry
Ward Beecher. George Werrenrath was a Dane, with an unusually rich tenor
voice, trained by the best teachers of his time in Germany, Italy,
France and England. During his engagement as leading tenor in the Royal
Opera House in Wiesbaden, he left Germany by the advice of Adelina
Patti, eventually going to England with Maurice Strakosch, who was then
his coach. In London Werrenrath had a fine career, and there was formed
a warm and ultimate friendship with Charles Gounod, with whom he studied
and toured in concerts through England and Belgium. George Werrenrath
came to New York in 1876, by the influence of Mme. Antoinette Sterling
and of the well-known Dane, General C. T. Christensen. He immediately
became well known by his appearance with the Theodore Thomas Orchestra,
as well as by his engagement at Plymouth Church, where he was soloist
for seven years. He was probably the first artist to give song-recitals
in the United States, while his performances in opera are still
cherished in the memories of those people who can look back on some of
the fine representations given under the baton of Adolph Neuendorf, at
the old Academy of Music, which made the way for the later work at the
Metropolitan Opera House. His interpretation of _Lohengrin_ was adjudged
most wonderfully poetical.
Reinald Werrenrath studied first with his father. At the Boys' High
School and at New York University he was leader of musical affairs
throughout the eight years spent in those schools. He studied violin
with Carl Venth for four years, and had as his vocal teachers Dr. Carl
Dufft, Frank King Clark, Dr. Arthur Mees, Percy Rector Stephens and
Victor Maurel, giving especial credit for his voice training to years of
study with Mr. Stephens whose vocal teaching ideas he sketches in part
in the following. He has appeared with immense success in concert and
oratorio in all parts of the United States. His talking machine records
have been in great demand for years, and his voice is known to thousands
who have never seen him. His operatic debut was in _Pagliacci_, as
_Silvio_, in the Metropolitan Opera House, February 19, 1919, where he
later had specially fine success as _Valentine_ in _Faust_ and as the
_Toreador_ in _Carmen_.