 He made his debut with the company on November 13, 1926 as Kothner in Richard Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" notably sharing the stage that evening with his future wife, soprano Elisabeth Rethberg, whom he would marry nearly 30 years later.He continued to perform at the Met for the next 40 years.Most of the 97 roles he performed at the Met were comprimario roles.