Paul Prischka, a powerful bass with a smile and heartfelt laughter, who sang 1,672 performances at the Metropolitan Opera over 51 years, soon passed away. He was 83 years old.
Prischka passed away Monday at a hospice in Wilmington, North Carolina, his wife, Sharon Thomas, said Wednesday.
From his debut as a monk alongside Renatate Bardi, Cheryl Milnes and Rosalind Elias in Ponchieri’s “Radio Conda” on September 21, 1967, to his appearance in Puccini’s “Labohheme” on March 10, 2018. His Met career spanned generations.
“He was a beloved character at the Met,” said Peter Gelb, the company’s general manager. “He is one of the leading artists in Met’s history, and I would say, and he draws an interesting arc into his career. He struggled with medium and small roles over the years, and then I can’t think of any other singers who have such a career arc to suddenly become a major presence.”
He sang 88 roles in the Met, and his performance total ranks ninth in the company’s history. Many were like Complimario, the supporting part surrounding the star, but he sang all three bass roles in Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godonoff” and Verdi’s “Don Carlo” Philip II. We celebrated our 25th anniversary with Verdi’s title role, “Verdi’s “”. Falstaff. ”
“Like ‘Don Carlo’, ‘Falstaff’ leaves everything in the dust because of the character and musical personality. For me, it was the pinnacle of the hill,” he said. “I love what I’ve done over the years. I jokingly say it beats working to earn a living.”
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Born August 28, 1941, Prischka grew up in Forge, Pennsylvania, and moved with her family to Patterson, New Jersey. When he was 16 years old. He attended East Side High School, played Judd Fly in “Oklahoma!” before being directed at the opera by his teacher. Prischka majored in music at Montclair State College and made her opera debut at Paterson Lyric Opera Theatre.
After singing at Met’s National Touring Company, he made his debut with that 1967 performance. In 1971 he was Sacristan in Puccini’s “Tosca” where night conductor James Levine made his Met debut.
During rehearsals for these 1971 performances, Prischka pointed out the inexperienced singer, ironically saying, “Is it a sacred house?” By 2012, Prishka praised him in rehearsals for making the small role memorable, saying, “Now it’s Sacristan!”
“It only took me 40 years to grow into that part,” Prishka said with a laugh.
He sang alongside other companies, especially Teatro Ala Scala in Milan, Royal Opera in London and New York City Opera, and sang Grand Inquisitor at the 1988 Salzburg Festival in “Don Carlo.” But most of his career was in the Met. He announced his retirement in 2012, but the Met convinced him to return to 30 additional performances on “Labohöme” from 2016 to 2018 as the landlord Benoit and Musetta admirer Arcindoro.
Prishka’s first wife, former Judith Kolgan, passed away in 2004, and they had three sons, Paul Jr., Jeffrey and Nikolai, who lost him.
Jeffrey was indicted in Wayne County, Pennsylvania in 2009, and in 1991 a 24-year-old camp counselor was murdered near Poconos Falls. He was acquitted the following year.
In 1984, Prischka’s 33-year-old brother, Dr. Peter Prischka, was found dead in an apartment in the Bronx after police said it looked like a self-harmed stab wound.
Prischka married Thomas, the staff stage director of the Met, during an off-day at the Opera House in 2005. Thomas said he retired and became an avid photographer of birds.
