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Otto Reutter

Otto Reutter (born Otto Pfützenreuter: April 24, 1870 in Gardelegen, Germany – March 3, 1931 in Düsseldorf, Germany) was a German comedian, coupletist, and singer.

Born into a poor Catholic family, Reutter attended the Catholic school in Gardelegen and was then trained as a salesman's assistant. After completing his apprenticeship, he moved to Berlin and became active in theater and as a comedian. Afterwards he moved to Karlsruhe and became part of a troupe of tavern singers and comedians there.

In 1895, he first appeared as a "salon humorist", probably in Bern, Switzerland. The following year he had his breakthrough.

Particularly notable about Reutter was his ability to deliver original, amusing lyrics in a singsong manner, his persona full of irony and wit. After a successful appearance in the "Wintergarten Variety" of the Berlin Central Hotel, Reutter was hailed as a celebrity, and was considered in the following decades as one of the leading artists of the stage in Germany.

In the 1920s, Reutter wrote many of the songs for which he is still well known today, songs that have been sung by many well-known German artists. He wrote over a thousand Couplets, a German form of amusing cabaret song.

Overstressed and having suffered some personal setbacks, Reutter intended to retire as a millionaire in 1919, after a successful thirty-year career. He had invested his fortune in his house (known as Waldschnibbe) in Gardelegen, as well as in war bonds. As World War I came to an end and the German inflation struck, Reutter lost a good portion of this fortune and thus had to continue to support himself by delivering his songs on various small stages.

Hence, starting around 1919, his "mature work" began to appear: songs that were especially characterized by humor and melancholy, the wisdom of life, and a kind of weary sass and bite.

His songs didn't just foresee societal changes, but also presented their listeners with comfort in times that required great sacrifice. His songs tended to follow the taste of the times, as well as current events.

Sick and exhausted, Otto Reutter died during a guest appearance in Düsseldorf in 1931, and was buried in Gardelegen.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 24, 1870 (Gardelegen), Died March 3, 1931 (Düsseldorf)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1908 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-10078 12-in. 3/20/1911 Vom Nordpol zurück Oscar Stolberg Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor B-10080 10-in. 3/20/1911 Lieschen möchte gerne freien! Oscar Stolberg Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor C-10087 12-in. 3/22/1911 Trink'n wir noch'n Tröppchen : Parody Oscar Stolberg Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor B-10089 10-in. 3/22/1911 Frauen-berufe Oscar Stolberg Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor B-18664 10-in. 11/8/1916 Väterliche Ermahnungen Seppel Burger Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor B-19456 10-in. 4/10/1917 Da kann man sehen wie die Frauen sind Seppel Burger Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor B-19457 10-in. 4/10/1917 O, Karline! Seppel Burger Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-Test-318 10-in. 11/5/1929 Mit der Uhr in der Hand Ernest Heinen Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Gramophone CW2478 12-in. 4/26/1929 Der gewissenhafte Maurer Armin Berg Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer, lyricist  
Gramophone CW2479 12-in. 4/26/1929 Der Überziehrer Armin Berg Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer, lyricist  
Gramophone 7330L 10-in. May 1908 Berliner Theater-Revue, 1907-08 Otto Reutter Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist  
Gramophone 7331L 10-in. May 1908 Berliner Theater-Revue, 1907-08, 3 Teil Otto Reutter Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist  
Gramophone 12292u 10-in. 1908 Immer weiter Otto Reutter Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, composer  
Gramophone 12293u 10-in. 1908 Immer weiter Otto Reutter Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, vocalist  
Gramophone 12295u 10-in. 1908 Der Hirschfeld Otto Reutter Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, composer  
Gramophone 12296u 10-in. 1908 Der Hirschfeld Otto Reutter Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, vocalist  
Gramophone 12298u 10-in. 1908 Das dank ich dir, mein teures Vaterland Otto Reutter Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, composer  
Gramophone 12347u 10-in. 1908 Ich bin ein Optimist Otto Reutter Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reutter, Otto," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106940.

Reutter, Otto. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106940.

"Reutter, Otto." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106940

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