as ▁Giuseppe ▁Kas ch mann ) ▁and ▁performing ▁at ▁such ▁important ▁ven ues ▁as ▁the ▁Bay re uth ▁Fest spiel haus ▁in ▁Germany ▁( in ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 4 ) ▁and ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Opera ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁( in ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 6 ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁continu ing ▁to ▁appear ▁at ▁La ▁Scala . ▁Aud ien ces ▁in ▁Spain , ▁Portugal , ▁Russia , ▁Mon aco , ▁Egypt , ▁Brazil ▁and ▁Argentina ▁also ▁had ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁hear ▁him ▁perform ▁during ▁his ▁prime ▁but ▁he ▁never ▁sang ▁in ▁England . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁granted ▁permission ▁to ▁go ▁back ▁to ▁Zag reb ▁by ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁government , ▁which ▁in ▁those ▁days ▁controlled ▁Cro atia . ▁For ▁many ▁years ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁prevent ed ▁from ▁returning ▁to ▁Cro atia ▁because , ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁man , ▁he ▁had ▁alleg edly ▁desert ed ▁from ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁army ▁following ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina . ▁This ▁ban ▁was ▁lifted ▁only ▁after ▁pap al ▁inter vention ▁on ▁his ▁beh alf . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁particularly ▁ren owned ▁for ▁his ▁performances ▁in ▁oper as ▁by ▁Giuseppe ▁Ver di ▁and ▁Richard ▁Wagner . ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁stage ▁career ▁however , ▁as ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁his ▁voice ▁began ▁to ▁d eter ior ate ▁due ▁to ▁age , ▁he ▁switched ▁to ▁the ▁buff o ▁re per toire ▁of