He is generally considered the finest tenor singer of German lieder and lyric opera (such as Mozart) and operetta on record; small-voiced tenors often look to his recordings as models of their art.
His hobbies included guns, fast cars, and hunting.
Besides singing, he was an accomplished horn-player and also played the trumpet.
Died by falling down a flight of stairs at a hunting lodge. At the time of his death he was scheduled to give his first performance at the Metropolitan Opera a few weeks later.