Description

ROBERT BLASS (NEW YORK, OCTOBER 7, 1867 – BERLIN, DECEMBER 3, 1930)

He was born into a German family and initially pursued violin studies upon arriving in Leipzig in 1887. Later, he turned to singing, studying under the esteemed Julius Stockhausen in Frankfurt am Main. In 1892, he made his debut as King Henry in Lohengrin at the Weimar Court Theater, where he remained until 1897. His career progressed with positions at the city theaters of Lübeck (1897-1898) and Bremen (1898-1900), during which he made guest appearances across German theaters, including notable performances at the Munich Court Opera in 1897 and the Dresden Court Opera in 1900.

In 1901, he performed at the Bayreuth Festival, alternating as Gurnemanz and Titurel in Parsifal and as Hagen in Götterdämmerung. He also appeared in the world premiere of Heinrich Zöllner’s Die versunkene Glocke in Berlin in 1899. His London debut at Covent Garden in 1900 was as Hagen in Götterdämmerung, followed by roles as King Henry in Lohengrin, Pogner in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, the Landgrave in Tannhäuser, Marke in Tristan und Isolde, and Hunding in Die Walküre over the next few years.

In 1900, he joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he inaugurated his engagement with the role of the Landgrave in Tannhäuser. During his time there (1900-1910), he portrayed 25 roles in 234 performances, becoming known especially for his Wagnerian roles. Highlights included his participation in the New York premiere of Parsifal as Gurnemanz in 1903, the role of Kruschina in the New York premiere of Smetana’s The Bartered Bride in 1909, and performances in premieres of Manru by Paderewski (1902), The Forest by Ethel Smyth (1902), and Salome by Richard Strauss.

In 1905, he took part in the Dutch premiere of Parsifal in Amsterdam, despite Bayreuth’s performance ban on the work. After returning to Germany, he performed at the Berlin Court Opera in 1910 and joined the Deutsches Opernhaus Berlin (1913-1919), where he took on the role of Gurnemanz in the theater’s Parsifal premiere in 1914.

He briefly returned to the Metropolitan Opera from 1920 to 1922, focusing mainly on the roles of King Marke in Tristan und Isolde and Gurnemanz. After retiring, he settled in Berlin, where he continued his musical legacy as a teacher, imparting his extensive knowledge to the next generation of opera artists.

TRACKLIST

1. Der schlesische Zecher und der Teufel (Reissiger) 81015 B582 Victor, New York 1903-10-16
2. Die beiden Grenadiere (Schumann) 85010 C581 Victor, New York 1903-10-16
3. Faust (Gounod) Rondo vom goldenen Kalb B62 Edison 2-min cylinders, New York 1906
4. Freischütz (Weber) Schweig’! Schweig’! 85007 C587 Victor, New York 1903-10-19
5. Im tiefen Keller (Fischer) 85008 C585-1 Victor, New York 1903-10-19
6. Im wunderschonen Monat Mai (Schumann) Ich grolle nicht (Schumann) 85011 C580 Victor, New York 1903-10-16
7. Lohengrin (Wagner) Mein Herr und Gott 81017 B586 Victor, New York 1903-10-19
8. Parsifal (Wagner) Du sieh’st, das ist nicht so (Charfreitagszauber) 85009 C584 Victor, New York 1903-10-19
9. Zauberflöte (Mozart) In diesen heil’gen Hallen 81016 B583 Victor, New York 1903-10-19
10. Zauberflöte (Mozart) In diesen heil’gen Hallen B48 Edison 2-min cylinders, New York 1906