• BAYREUTH FESTIVAL 1924. The first Festival since 1914 begins with a performance of Meistersinger conducted by Fritz Busch. The personnel are a mixture of familiar faces and debutants, while the scenic designs and technology remain much the same as when they were first created in the 1880s, with small modifications.  Melchior arrives at Bayreuth before his debut performance for rehearsals. The productions he prepares for are (his first) Parsifals, Karl Muck conducting; and two 'Ring Cycle' Die Walküres, Michael Balling conducting. Melchior's last performance of the 1924 season is on August 20.

23 July 1924: Parsifal. Muck. Melchior (DEBUT), Mayr, Scheidl, Habich, Watzke, Krüger

26 July 1924: Walküre. Balling. Melchior, Soomer, Braun, Krüger, Blomé, Hvoslef-Hanson

14 August 1924: Walküre. See 26 July 1924.

(there are further Parsifal dates)

Reviews:

New York Times, July 23, 1924 (Olin Downes): "Lauritz Melchior...sang [Parsifal] with a beautiful tone quality and a spirit which was dramatic, but never mawkish" (p. 7).

New York Times, July 30, 1924 (Olin Downes): "Only one conspicuous new talent has been discovered [at this year's Festival.]  That is the Danish tenor Lauritz Melchior, who gave a good performance as Parsifal and a much better one as Siegmund....He is developing into a dramatic tenor of the first rank." (p. 13)

Berliner Tageblatt, August 1, 1924 (Adolf Aber): "The Danish tenor Lauritz Melchior's high level of vocal skill is unquestionable; but stylistically and in his mastery of the German language he still has a number of things to learn, before he can be considered a great Wagner singer."

New York Herald Tribune, August 17, 1924: "Undoubtedly the 'find' this year is the Danish tenor Lauritz Melchior.  His voice is warm and flexible, with particularly beautiful high notes and a rich tone quality.  He made his debut in "Parsifal," which attracted the immediate attention of critics, but it was as Siegmund that he really showed us what he could do.  He is a magnificent looking young man, tall and powerful with an ease and debonair grace that are unusual in operatic singers. His first act was a revelation of acting and singing.  Most Siegmunds shout at the top of their voice through this scene, but Melchior played it with infinite beauty, and infused the stereotyped gestures of the love scene with a passion and tenderness that denote wonderful temperament. He is certainly one of the great tenors of the future"  (Lilian T. Mowrer, p. 15).

The Living Age (US magazine) 13 September 1924: "Herr Lorenz [sic] Melchior received high praise from some critics as Siegmund but Herr Marschall [of the Berlin paper Vossische Zeitung] insists that his inclusion in the cast was 'a dangerous experiment, and experiments-especially dangerous ones-are the last thing that the director of a festival production ought to attempt'" (p.564).

• Concert (recital?) tour of Germany: includes Nuremburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hannover, Bremen, Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz, and Berlin.

• Berlin Stadtische Oper: Parsifal [sic-Staatsoper?] [Berlin operatic debut?]
  

• Recording session, Berlin: Parlophon records. Wagner excerpts. Paul Breisach conducts.

• Magdeburg Opera: Walküre.

• Berlin Staatsoper: Walküre

• further recitals this year include Dortmund, Germany (composer Richard Trunk as accompanist); and Stettin.

• Recording sessions: Parlophon records, Berlin, including an excerpt from Parsifal and the duet from Tannhäuser, "O Fürstin" with Emmy Bettendorf as Elisabeth. Paul Breisach conducts.

The Gramophone, June 1925, on the Parsifal: "Mr. Melchior is a very loud tenor, whose voice is not well suited to this role.  There is a thinness in the tone and a certain tightness, that conspire to prevent his emotion from reaching us in full purity, when it attains any state of stress.  A vibrato also does not improve his singing.  He is evidently putting a lot into the part, and it is rather a pity we do not get more out of it" (p. 37).

The Gramophone, July 1925, on the Tannhäuser: "Miss Bettendorf sings more delicately than her partner, whose very big voice is not readily or gracefully damped down. He is happiest (though we are not, always) when he is letting it go. He sings clearly, with a good amount of emotion of an honest kind" (p.88)

• Breslau: Walküre

• Breslau: Parsifal
  

• Braunschweig Opera: Walküre. Melchior, --, --, Manski,-- , --
  

• Braunschweig. Concert; a Wagner concert conducted by Siegfried Wagner.

• Recording session, Parlophon. Lieder by Richard Trunk and Grieg. Breisach conducts.

• Recital: Blüthnersaal; Berlin. His accompanist is Richard Trunk. Puccini, Meyerbeer. 

• Berlin Staatsoper: Walküre.

• 1. Recital: Braunschweig, Germany: "Melchior primarily sang songs by his accompanist Richard Trunk," according to the April 1925 Die Musik (pg. 542).
  
  2. Concert: Magdeburg, Germany: All Wagner.
• While performing in Berlin this Winter/Spring, Melchior may also be continuing to receive instruction from Ernst Grenzebach

• Stettin Opera: Cav/Pag (on 23 May Cavalleria only)  Melchior also gives at least three concerts in Stettin during the 1924-1925 season.

• Chemnitz Opera: Parsifal

• BAYREUTH FESTIVAL 1925. Melchior's contribution this season, beginning  the 23rd of July, is to the productions of Parsifal and the two 'Ring Cycle' Walküres. Most casts and crew are the same as last year, the most notable addition to the season being Friedrich Schorr, who makes his Bayreuth debut as Wotan.
  

23 July 1925: Parsifal. Muck. Melchior, Braun, Scheidl, Habich, Watzke, Kemp

Walküre. Balling. Melchior, Soomer/Braun, Schorr, Krüger, Blomé, Ranzenberg

(further dates/info to be added)

Reviews:

New York Times: "The title role (Parsifal) was superbly interpreted by Lauritz Melchior....Melchior proved himself today not only a singer of marvelous range, but a great actor as well." (Melchior in Parsifal, July 24, 1925)

BZ am Mittag: (Adolf Weissman, 27 July 1925): "As Parsifal, Lauritz Melchior was at his best when he can utilize his tenor's baritonal shine....uniform coloration of voice he has still to acquire."

"Lauriz [sic] Melchior has raised his high reputation this year yet further. His tenor produces, at first, a heavy, baritonal sound, but then shines forth more and more with genuine heroic vigor. Those qualities, combined with his tall stature and his first rate acting, mark him as a heldentenor with very few equals. As Parsifal, he is somewhat too robust. He is Siegmund to perfection. The Walsung-Pair found thrilling representation in his duet with the excellent, wonderful Emmy Krueger." (Richard Sternfeld, Allgemeine Music-Zeitung, p. 741)

Brooklyn Eagle: "He is...a great Wagnerian tenor....His Parsifal was indisputably fine, made so by a voice so powerful, of such range and flexibility, of such suggestive expressiveness [but graceless in stage deportment, unlike his Siegmund]....Melchior might be vocally a perfect Tristan, and one hopes that he will sing that role during the coming season at the Metropolitan."  (Cushing, "Lauritz Melchior, tenor, Proves Dominant Figure in Bayreuth's "Parsifal", p. 4C)

Melchior's Bayreuth appearances continue to nurture international interest in him. For example, the August 3, 1925 issue of Time tells its American readership that

new hope was born in Manhattan operagoers with the appearance [at the 1925 Bayreuth festival] of tenor Lauritz Melchior, an able actor with a good voice, who will come next year to the Metropolitan Opera House.

And Allgemeine Music-Zeitung tells its German readership around the same time that

a new force of great promise for Wagner music is engaged to be with us [in America] in the upcoming year, namely Lauritz Melchior, owing to his consequential appearances at Bayreuth. (Maurice Halperson, p. 692).

• Berlin: recording session, Parlophon Records: these are acoustic recordings from Siegfried, the role he will be debuting in two months. Frieder Weissmann conducts.

Times (London): "[Melchior] sings two excerpts from Siegfried...with a combination of clear diction, rich tone, and dramatic value that reproduces well." (pg. 12)

• Berlin, Städtische Oper: Walküre

• Berlin, Städtische Oper: Tannhäuser.  Melchior's first in Germany.

• Berlin, Städtische Oper: Walküre

• Berlin, Städtische Oper: Tannhäuser

• Berlin, Städtische Oper: Parsifal

• Magdeburg, Germany: Siegfried DEBUT. Brecher. Melchior, Elschner,--,--,--,--,--, Leider
  

• Berlin Staatsoper: Siegfried

• Vienna State Opera: Tannhäuser. Reichenberger. Melchior, Schipper, Hellesgruber, Kappel, Lehmann. (Melchior's first guest appearance in Vienna)
  

"Tannhäuser was Lauritz Melchior from the Berlin City Opera. He began dully/airlessly, mimic-like, then forthwith took one by surprise with robustly belted-out tones. The exceptionally mighty voice sits low in his throat, the defects of resonance particularly palpable in his descent down to his low notes and in the piano.  Mr. Melchior overcame himself in the first act Finale, showed in the second act several lovely colorations and acting nuances, was the vocal victor of the song contest with his ecstatic outburst, "Dir, Göttin der Liebe," and failed at the most vital moment of the second act Finale. In the fervent outbursts of the Rome Narration he definitely revealed, that he has qualities, but at the moment, in technical aspects, he is still premature. Also he has trouble in his handling of the text. Certain shortcomings are naturally resulting from awkwardness [of a debut] and unfamiliarity with the acoustical circumstances. His musical art, his unaffected temperament, and prepossessing outward appearance, speak in favor of the young singer, who has already sung Siegmund at Bayreuth." (Neue Freie Presse, p. 21)

• Vienna State Opera: Walküre. Schalk (?). Melchior, Markhoff, Schipper, Lehmann, Kappel, Olszewska.
  

• Concert: Berlin. Melchior in an all-Wagner concert conducted by Siegfried Wagner.

"Melchior sang, with splendid steely strength, and with lyrical expression not wanting, the "Rome Narration" from Tannhäuser, the "Forging songs" from Siegfried, and two orchestrated songs, Schmerzen and Träume" (Allgemeine Music-Zeitung,  1 Jan. 1926, p. 11).

• Recitals in Germany this season include Breslau and Stettin.

• Berlin Städtische Oper: Tannhäuser

• Berlin Staatsoper: Walküre

• Recording sessions: Polydor, Berlin. Songs, L'Africaine and Tannhäuser excerpts. Early electrical recordings.