James Zehm <[log in to unmask]> writes, about Aksel Schiotz:

>I looked him up in my Lexicona and it says he is still living and it
>is printed in MCMLXIV.  My apologuizes for spreading false information
>*very-ashamed-feeling-right-now*, but correct me if I am wrong (again):
>he didn't sing anymore after his tumour?

Schiotz developed an acoustic neuroma around 1948, as I recall.  It
was removed "successfully", but the surgery left him with a facial nerve
paralysis.  He retrained as a baritone, and sang recitals into the 1960's.
There's a recording of him, as a baritone, that dates from the end of his
career, and it's a pretty sad document.

On the other hand, Danacord has recently reissued 11 CD's of him
(essentially his complete recorded output pre-illness), beautifully
transferred and documented.  For me, this is one of the most important
historic reissue projects of the CD era, and I'm glad that Danacord and
Schiotz's widow saw it to completion.

BTW, Schiotz died in 1975, at the age of 68.

William D. Kasimer
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