3-016-961 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Herr Wachtel, the new tenor singer at the Royal Italian Opera, 1864. Engraving from a photograph by Messrs. Mayall. 'Herr Wachtel...has gained so much favour with the audience and the critics by his performance of the parts of Manrico in "II Trovatore," and Arnoldo in "Guglielmo Tell," during the present season of the Royal Italian Opera...He certainly possesses a voice of extraordinary compass and power. Though he may not be esteemed the rival of Tamberlik in his high chest notes, the effect of his ut de poitrine, or C in alt, has never failed to astonish and delight the audience in Covent-Garden. As an actor, it has been remarked that his only fault is an excess of vehemence, which time and study will doubtless correct. His pronunciation of the Italian language is more pure than that which most other Germans at the Opera have been able to attain in the course of a much longer practice. As it seems generally expected that Herr Wachtel's future career will prove an important one in the annals of our most fashionable entertainment, we have thought it worth while to engrave this likeness of him...which gives a good notion of his personal appearance. He is a native of Berlin'. From "Illustrated London News", 1864.