Schreier, one of the few international stars to emerge from former communist East Germany, passed away in his beloved home city of Dresden. Schreier suffered from back and hip problems and had diabetes, according to German media. "A day without music is a wasted day," DPA news agency quoted him as saying. Mozart breakthroughSchreier made his operatic debut in the role of First Prisoner in Beethoven's "Fidelio" at the Dresden State Opera. A pivotal member of the Berlin State Opera at Unter den Linden in then East Berlin, Schreier enjoyed rare privileges in the tightly-controlled GDR -- without being a member of the ruling SED communist party.

Source: The Local December 27, 2019 05:48 UTC