Singer and presenter Gunther Emmerlich dies

The opera singer and entertainer Gunther Emmerlich is dead. According to his management, he died unexpectedly on Tuesday at the age of 79. On Sunday he performed at a Christmas concert in Lößnitz in the Erzgebirge and a week ago he was a surprise guest at the Christmas concert at the Friedrich Schiller School in Ronneburg.

Emmerlich was born on September 18, 1944 in Eisenberg, Thuringia. Emmerlich has lived in Dresden for many years and was well known to the MDR audience for decades. Emmerlich, the seasoned opera soloist, was also able to boast a remarkable stage presence in light entertainment thanks to his voice and stature.

After numerous moderations and appearances as a singing talk show host, the 1.93 meter man became the GDR “television darling” in 1988. His beard and his sonorous voice were his trademarks. In 1990 he received the Bambi and in 1997 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. People who knew him well particularly remember his humor and clear words. Emmerlich didn’t allow herself to be pinned down to a genre. He was broad-based and always open to new challenges and – as he said himself – he was far from thinking about quitting.

MDR user Romy Bortenreuter wrote on Facebook that Dresden was losing “a great personality”. Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) made a similar statement, praising Emmerlich in a press statement as a “great entertainer and gifted opera singer”. The deceased “embodyed the Saxon joy of life and brought it closer to people all over Germany,” said Kretschmer.

Culture Minister Barbara Klepsch (CDU) explained that with Emmerlich, Dresden and Saxony were not only losing a great opera singer, but also a popular figure. The minister recalled Emmerlich’s close ties “with our Semperoper”. Klepsch also paid tribute to the artist for his social commitment.

Dresden’s mayor Dirk Hilbert (FDP) also emphasizes this again and reminds us that the artist always supported the “Dresden Memorial Walk – On the Road to Reconciliation” on February 13th. “With Gunther Emmerlich, we are losing a cultural ambassador for our city who was, in the truest sense, a powerful voice and an unmistakable, wonderful person.”

The actor Wolfgang Stumpf said: “It breaks my heart, it’s unbelievable.” He is losing “a great friend, a great support on my path, a role model.” Emmerlich and Stumph have a long history together; they often worked together, appeared on stage or in front of the camera together and were close friends.

The cabaret artist Volker Heißmann from Fürth, Franconia, remembers on Facebook fun evenings in social gatherings in Saxony and Franconia with Gunther Emmerlich. He says goodbye with “Rest in peace my old buddy”.

Gunther Emmerlich initially studied at the Civil Engineering School in Erfurt, but then turned to music and studied opera singing for five years at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar. For 20 years he was a permanent member of the ensemble at the Semperoper Dresden as bass.

From 1987 onwards he was seen again and again on GDR television as a singer, presenter and interviewer, including in the “Night of the Celebrities” and in the entertainment program “Ein Kessel Buntes” as well as as a talk show host on the popular Saturday evening entertainment program “Die Showkolade”, which was screened a total of 13 times by 1990. The joint appearances with Wolfgang Stumpf are legendary. They scrutinized current events and often poked fun at the GDR leaders.

Emmerich’s tendency to make rebellious political asides sometimes brought him into the crosshairs of the GDR cultural authorities, who temporarily banned him from performing for certain regions because of “anti-state considerations”.

In 1992 he terminated his contract with the Dresden Opera, which paved the way for more professional involvement in the entertainment sector. In the 1990s he had his own show on ZDF called “Gunther und drüber”. The bard also took on smaller acting roles.

Gunther Emmerlich has also been a passionate ambassador for wines from the Saale-Unstrut region since 2008. The winegrowing association writes: “As an avowed wine lover, he not only enjoyed the fine wines himself, but also contributed to promoting and celebrating the region’s wine culture.” Many of his legendary appearances at wine festivals and events remained unforgotten, it was said from Freyburg. “His death leaves a painful void and we will always remember him as a charismatic artist and passionate wine lover.”

MDR (sat/lam/MDR THÜRINGEN)/dpa/AP