Bandrowski-Sas, Aleksander (EN)

Bandrowski-Sas Aleksander, pseud. Barski, Brandt, *22 April 1860 Lubaczów, †28 May 1913 Kraków, Polish singer (tenor). Initially (from 1881), he performed (under the pseudonym A. Barski) as a baritone impersonator in theatres in Krakow, Lviv, Łódź and Poznań. After studying in Milan with A. Sangiovanni and in Vienna with L. Salvi, he shone as a heroic tenor, an excellent impersonator of Wagnerian parts. He sang on stages in Prague (under the pseudonym A. Brandt), Milan (including the role of Tannhäuser at La Scala), London, Vienna, Graz, Berlin, Cologne, Hannover, Munich, Frankfurt am Main (1889–1901) and other Austrian and German cities. During the premiere of Paderewski’s Manru in Dresden in 1901, he played the title role, which he also played in 1902 at the Metropolitan Opera House. He was the author of librettos to Stara baśń by W. Żeleński, Bolesław Śmiały by L. Różycki and Twardowski by B. Wallek-Walewski. He translated the librettos of Wagner’s musical dramas into Polish and published Rozbiór tematyczny Ryszarda Wagnera trylogii z prologiem pt. „Pierścień Nibelungów”, z analizą motywów przewodnich (Lviv 1907). He spent the last years of his life in Krakow, devoting himself to teaching work.