American baritone Barry McDaniel has died on Monday in Berlin, according to the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he performed a lot. Born in 1930 McDaniel spent his career almost exclusively in Germany.
After graduating from Juilliard, he was among the first young singers to go to Germany on a Fulbright scholarship in 1953. He studied with Alfred Paulus and Hermann Reutter at the Stuttgart Music Conservatory. After a first contract with the opera of Mainz (1954- 1955), he was under contract with the Stuttgart State Opera (1957 to 1958), and from 1959 at the opera of Karlsruhe. In 1961 Egon Seefehlner recruited him for Deutsche Oper Berlin (1962-1999).
His stage repertoire of 98 roles encompassed Gluck and Mozart, Italian Bel canto and Richard Strauss as well as contemporary opera. He also displayed remarkable versatility as an oratorio singer and recitalist.
He gave frequent guest performances and recitals e.g. in Vienna, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Geneva, Amsterdam, Mexico and Japan. He also sang in Bayreuth.
