▁Musik ho ch schule ▁Mann heim . ▁He ▁made ▁his ▁oper atic ▁debut ▁as ▁a ▁ten or ▁at ▁the ▁municipal ▁theatre ▁of ▁E ger ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁in ▁the ▁title ▁role ▁Can io ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁language ▁rend ition ▁of ▁Leon c aval lo ' s ▁P aglia c ci — Der ▁B aj azzo . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁soldier ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁From ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁he ▁sang ▁at ▁the ▁Pf al z the ater ▁in ▁Kais ers la ut ern . ▁He ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁National the ater ▁Mann heim . ▁ ▁He ▁studied ▁bar it one ▁roles ▁with ▁Fritz ▁Kra uss , ▁singing ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁at ▁the ▁Bad isches ▁Staat st he ater ▁Kar ls ru he . ▁He ▁was ▁ad vised ▁there ▁to ▁use ▁an ▁artist ▁name . ▁His ▁first ▁performance ▁as ▁Marcel ▁Cord es ▁was ▁Wol fram ▁von ▁E schen bach ▁in ▁Wagner ' s ▁T ann hä user . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁a ▁career ▁that ▁took ▁him ▁to ▁major ▁German - language ▁opera ▁houses , ▁concert ▁h alls ▁and ▁broad c aster s . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁Cord es ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Bav arian ▁State ▁Opera ▁in ▁Mun ich , ▁singing ▁also ▁on ▁major ▁stages ▁in ▁Europe , ▁such ▁as ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁named ▁a ▁Bav arian ▁K amm ers änger ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6