Background
He was the son of David Kalisch, a Jewish Christian writer, founder of the Kladderadatsch.
He was the son of David Kalisch, a Jewish Christian writer, founder of the Kladderadatsch.
Shortly afterward Kalisch went to Italy to study under Leoni and Lamperti, and he made his debut at Varese in 1880 as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor. After a most successful tour through Italy and Spain he sang in 1883 at the royal operas at Munich, Berlin, and Vienna, and at the Stadttheaters of Hamburg, Leipzig, and Cologne. From England Kalisch went to the United States, where he spent six winter seasons: four seasons at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, while for two seasons he toured the country together with Anton Seidl, singing in many of Wagner"s operas.
He was made Kammersänger by Duke Ernst of Saxe-Coburg.
Kalisch"s most successful rôles are The Prophet, Eleazar, Othello, Siegmund, Siegfried, Tannhäuser, and Tristan. Kalisch again appeared in Tristan and Isolde at Paris and Cologne in 1901.