Rudolf Gerlach-Rusnak (Ukrainian: Рудольф Герлах-Руснак; né Orest Rusnak [Орест Руснак]; later known as Gerlach; 24 July 1895 – 23 January 1960) was a German operatic and concert lyrical tenor, and a member of the Bavarian State Opera who had an international career and was known for his exceptional high register.
[2] He served as an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I and in 1917, he was captured by the Russians and caused a commotion in the POW camp, where he recited Ukrainian folk songs in the evenings.
[1] Gerlach performed at the 1934 world premiere of Vittorio Giannini's Lucedia[1] as a guest star from Munich at the Vienna State Opera.
On 15 June 1938, he sang the tenor solo in the leading role of John the Evangelist at the world premiere of Franz Schmidt's oratorio Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (The Book with Seven Seals), which was conducted by Oswald Kabasta, at the Vienna Musikverein.
[1] Among his roles were Chapelou in Adam's Le postillon de Lonjumeau, Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor and Fernando in La favorite, Arnold in Rossini's Guglielmo Tell, the Duke in Verdi's Rigoletto and Manrico in Il trovatore, Lionel in Flotow's Martha, Cavarodossi in Puccini's Tosca and Rodolfo in La bohème, and Matteo in Arabella by Richard Strauss.