Melchior, Lauritz (lou`rĭts mĕl`kēôr), 1890–1973, Danish heroic tenor. He made his debut in Copenhagen in 1913, singing a baritone role in I Pagliacci, and sang regularly at the Bayreuth Festivals from 1925 to 1931. In addition to possessing a great voice, Melchior was an exciting actor. He was the leading Wagnerian tenor at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City, from 1926 to 1950, singing over 1,000 performances. Although he confined his career at the Metropolitan to Wagnerian roles, he did appear successfully in Europe as the leading tenor in Verdi's Otello and Aïda.

Melchior, Lauritz (Lebrecht Hommel)

(born March 20, 1890, Copenhagen, Den.—died March 18, 1973, Santa Monica, Calif., U.S.) Danish-U.S. tenor. He debuted as a baritone in 1913 but further study extended his range upward, and he made his tenor debut as Tannhäuser in 1918. Additional training readied him for Bayreuth, where he sang (1924–31), and he remained the preeminent Wagnerian tenor of his time, regularly singing (often opposite Kirsten Flagstad) at Covent Garden (until 1939) and the Metropolitan Opera (1926–50) and making many recordings.

Melchior, Lauritz (Lebrecht Hommel) (1890–1973) tenor; born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Beginning as a baritone (1913) he went on to become arguably the foremost Wagnerian tenor of the century. He sang in Bayreuth (1924–31) and regularly at the Metropolitan Opera (1926–50). In the late 1940s and early 1950s he appeared in several Hollywood movies.