Robert Leonhardt (December 27, 1872 – February 2, 1923) was an Austrian operatic baritone who sang several notable roles with the New York Metropolitan Opera between 1913 and 1922.
[5] He first appeared on stage for his new employer in December[6] in the role of Peter in Engelbert Humperdinck's opera Hänsel und Gretel.
[7] Receiving critical acclaim for his work in this role,[8] he would appear in Met productions over the course of the next nine years.
[10] Nevertheless, Leonhardt, a citizen of Austria, was dropped by the New York Met in April 1918 because of his status as an enemy alien despite continued critical praise.
He has been noted for a "dark, steely, throaty bass" with mundane performance, although this is perhaps due to Leonhardt being out of his voice's comfort zone regarding range.
[16] Conversely, he was noted for having a "luscious and lovely Italian voice" with a splendid, spontaneous sense of humor.
[2] He recorded cylinders for the Edison company before coming to the United States, and these were marketed in the U.S. to the German-speaking population.