Deon van der Walt his debut as Almaviva in Rossini’s "The Barber of Seville". He was counted amongst the leading lyric tenors of his day and performed at all the world’s major opera houses, including He also performed at numerous international festivals, especially at the Salzburg Festival, where he sang Belmonte in Mozart's "Abduction from the Seraglio" and Ferrando in "Così fan tutte" under Riccardo Muti. On video, he can be seen in Handel's "Semele" as Jupiter, singing a long, beautifully shaped "Where'er you walk"; in Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix" with Edita Gruberová; and in "La belle Hélène". Deon van der Walt died at
Willoughby Weiss di Lammermoor" (with Dorus Gras and Henry Whitworth), conducted by Hector Berlioz, in Louis Antoine Jullien's company: soon afterwards Reeves and Weiss sang together again in the premiere of Balfe's opera "Maid of Honour". In 1854 he set Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem ""The Village Blacksmith"" to music, from which he made a considerable fortune. In that year Weiss was in Jarrett's company at Drury Lane, with Reeves, Agnes Büry, Mme Rudersdorff, Louisa Pyne and others, in a season including "Lucia", "Fra Diavolo", "La sonnambula", "Il Seraglio" and "Masaniello". On New Year's Day 1856, with Reeves, Novello and Lewis Thomas, he