Josef Witt
Introduction


[Kammersänger](/wiki/Kammers%C3%A4nger "Kammersänger") **Josef Witt** (17 May 1901 – 3 January 1994\) was a tenor who was a regular performer at the [Vienna State Opera](/wiki/Vienna_State_Opera "Vienna State Opera") before [WW II](/wiki/World_War_II "World War II"). His name is sometimes spelt Joseph Witt.

In 1923 Witt created the role of Li in [Hans Gál](/wiki/Hans_G%C3%A1l "Hans Gál")'s opera, *[Die heilige Ente](/wiki/Die_heilige_Ente "Die heilige Ente")*, in [Düsseldorf](/wiki/D%C3%BCsseldorf "Düsseldorf"). He performed the role of [Palestrina](/wiki/Giovanni_Pierluigi_da_Palestrina "Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina") in the production of [Pfitzner](/wiki/Hans_Pfitzner "Hans Pfitzner")’s opera *[Palestrina](/wiki/Palestrina_%28opera%29 "Palestrina (opera)")* at the State Opera in 1937\.

He conducted opera classes at the [Akadamie fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst](/wiki/University_of_Music_and_Performing_Arts%2C_Vienna "University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna") in [Vienna](/wiki/Vienna "Vienna") until his death in 1990\. Singers like [Norman Bailey](/wiki/Norman_Bailey_%28bass-baritone%29 "Norman Bailey (bass-baritone)"), [Walter Berry](/wiki/Walter_Berry_%28bass-baritone%29 "Walter Berry (bass-baritone)"), [Mimi Coertse](/wiki/Mimi_Coertse "Mimi Coertse") and [Ernst Gutstein](/wiki/Ernst_Gutstein "Ernst Gutstein"), who went on to have important opera careers in Austria and Germany, were among his students.


What is the significance of the opera *Die heilige Ente*?