Description

EMANUEL LIST (VIENNA, MARCH 22, 1888 – VIENNA, JUNE 21, 1967)

 

 

 

 

His real name was Emanuel Fleissig. He was originally intended to become a tailor, but by the age of 17 he was already singing in the chorus of the Theater an der Wien. He later studied voice with Emil Steger in Vienna and toured Europe as a member of a vocal quartet, traveling in 1910 also to Australia and New Zealand. In 1914, he appeared in a London vaudeville theater, but later that same year emigrated to North America. There, he continued his vocal studies in New York under Josiah Zuro, though he initially performed only in small theaters and film venues.

In 1921, he returned to Austria and made his operatic debut in 1922 at the Vienna Volksoper as Mephisto in Gounod’s Faust. The following year, he joined the Berlin Municipal Opera, and in 1924, the director Max von Schillings appointed him to the Berlin State Opera, where he enjoyed a distinguished career from 1924 to 1934. He achieved particular success there in 1932 as Procida in Verdi’s I Vespri Siciliani.

In 1928, he participated in the world premiere of Franz Schreker’s opera Der singende Teufel (The Singing Devil) at the Berlin State Opera, and in 1930 in Darius Milhaud’s Christophe Colomb. Also in 1928, he appeared as a guest artist at the Kroll Opera in Berlin in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex. At the Bayreuth Festival in 1933, he sang Pogner in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Gurnemanz in Parsifal, and Fafner, Hunding, and Hagen in Der Ring des Nibelungen.

At the Salzburg Festival, he appeared as Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1931, as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni in 1931 and 1934–35, as the Minister in Fidelio in 1931 and 1935, and as King Marke in Tristan und Isolde in 1935.

In 1934, as a Jew, he was forced to leave Germany. From 1933 to 1950, he was a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he made his debut as the Landgrave in Tannhäuser. Over sixteen seasons at the Met, he sang 17 roles in 324 performances, including Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier, Rocco in Fidelio, and numerous Wagnerian roles for which he was especially admired.

He was a frequent guest in the Netherlands from 1928 onward, appearing for the last time there at the Holland Festival in 1950. He also appeared at the San Francisco Opera (1935–1937) and made many guest appearances at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires until 1947. Further engagements included the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (1925, 1930–35, and 1936, as Baron Ochs and in his Wagner roles), the Paris Opera, and the Chicago Opera.

He was also well known in the United States as a recitalist. From 1950 to 1952, he sang again at the Berlin State Opera and thereafter lived in Vienna.

He possessed a powerful, dark-hued bass voice of remarkable expressive range, particularly notable in the Wagner repertoire. He recorded for Vox (both acoustic and electric recordings), Christschall, Parlophon, HMV, and Remington, as well as in numerous private recordings, including Metropolitan Opera performances: Lohengrin and Die Walküre (EJS, 1940), Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Bruno Walter Society, 1939), Der Rosenkavalier (Walhall, with Lotte Lehmann, 1933), and Siegfried (The Legendary Performances, 1937).

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

Das Herz am Rhein (Hill) B 12093-II 37442 L Parlophon

Der schlesische Zecher und der Teufel (Reissiger) B 12011-II 36476 L Parlophon

Deutscher Freiheit Schlachtruf (Methfessel) B 48058-II 133138 Parlophon

Die alten Straßen noch (Grippekoven) B 48058-I 133137 Parlophon

Faust (Gounod) Auf eilet! Auf eilet! (w. Seinemeyer, Dworsky & chorus) P9852 2-21175 Parlophon, Berlin 1929-01-14

Faust (Gounod) O Herr, so lasse hier niederknien (w. Seinemeyer & chorus) P9850 2-21177 Parlophon, Berlin 1929-01-14

Faust (Gounod) Wenn erscheint der Tag des Herrn (w. Seinemeyer & chorus) P9850 2-21178 Parlophon, Berlin 1929-01-14

Götterdämmerung (Wagner) Hagens Ruf, pt 1 03660 1740AA Vox, Berlin

Götterdämmerung (Wagner) Hagens Ruf, pt 2 03660 1741AA Vox, Berlin

Götterdämmerung (Wagner) Hier sitz’ ich zur Wacht 03664 1736AA Vox, Berlin

Im tiefen Keller sitz ich hier (Fischer) B 12011-I II 36475 L Parlophon

Lohengrin (Wagner) Habt Dank, ihr Lieben von Brabant (w. chorus) 03662 1742AA Vox, Berlin

Parsifal (Wagner) Karfreitagszauber 03670 1737AA Vox, Berlin

Parsifal (Wagner) Titurel, der fromme Held 03664 1739AA Vox, Berlin

Rosenkavalier (Strauss) Bin von soviel Finesse charmiert (w. Merrem-Nikisch, Seinemeyer & chorus) P9868 2-20942 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-09-21

Rosenkavalier (Strauss) Nicht dort, dort ist das Vorzimmer (w. Stünzner & Seinemeyer) P9868 2-20941-2 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-09-21

Strömt herbei ihr Völkerscharen (Peters) B 12093-I 37435-2 Parlophon

Wenn ich einmal der Herrgott wär! (Binder) B 12147-I II 37436 Parlophon

Zauberflöte (Mozart) In diesen heil’gen Hallen 03658 1723AA Vox, Berlin

Zauberflöte (Mozart) O Isis und Osiris 03658 1721AA Vox, Berlin