Description

FRITZ FEINHALS (COLOGNE, GERMANY, DECEMBER 14, 1869 – MUNICH, GERMANY, AUGUST 30, 1940)

He studied engineering at the Polytechnic in Berlin-Charlottenburg before pursuing singing with Alberto Giovannini in Milan and Alberto Selva in Padua (1893). He made his debut in 1895 at the Essen City Theater as Silvio in Pagliacci. He was engaged in Essen until 1897, then sang at the Stadttheater in Mainz during the 1897-1898 season before joining the Hofoper in Munich in 1898, where he remained until the end of his career in 1927. He left the stage in 1927 as Scarpia in Tosca. At the Wagner Festival in the Prinzregententheater in Munich, he appeared as Hans Sachs, Wotan, Telramund, Amfortas, and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde, each time with great success.

In 1907, he made a guest appearance in Paris with a German opera company as Jochanaan in Salome under the direction of the composer Richard Strauss, with Emmy Destinn as Salome. His guest performances took him to Covent Garden in London (1898 and 1907 as Pizarro and Telramund), to the Vienna Court Opera (often between 1905 and 1921), and to opera houses in Frankfurt a. M. (1906-1911), Zurich (1907-1908, 1919-1920, 1921), Leipzig, Brussels, and Budapest (where he appeared as the Flying Dutchman in Italian and as Don Giovanni). He also performed at the Deutsches Theater in Prague (1910), Berlin Court Opera (1911 as Hans Sachs), Staatsoper Berlin (1919), Hoftheater Stuttgart (1916), Karlsruhe, Mannheim, and the Komische Oper in Berlin.

Since 1903, he was heard at Wagner performances in Amsterdam, last appearing there in 1909 as Telramund in Lohengrin. He traveled to North America several times and was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York during the 1908-1909 season. At the Met, he sang Wotan in Walküre (1908), took on Wagner roles as well as Amonasro in Aida, and appeared in the premiere of d’Albert’s Tiefland in 1908 as Sebastiano. On June 12, 1917, he participated in the premiere of Hans Pfitzner’s Palestrina as Borromeo in the Prinzregententheater in Munich.

His notable roles included Hans Sachs, Wotan, Telramund in Lohengrin, Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde, Amfortas in Parsifal, Don Giovanni, Tonio in Pagliacci, and roles in Verdi operas, as well as Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana and Nelucso in Africaine. He was renowned as a great actor on the opera stage and also had a very successful career as a concert and oratorio singer. After retiring, Fritz Feinhals taught singing in Munich.

TRACKLIST

1. Africaine (Meyerbeer) Dir, o Königin 042322 2391c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-09-13
2. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Champagnerlied 42268 640B Berliner, München 1901-07
3. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Reich mir die Hand, mein Leben (w. Bosetti) X64741 xB3419 Odeon, Berlin 1908-03
4. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Dich frage ich XX76031, xxB3420-2 Odeon, Berlin 1908-10
5. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Die Frist ist um 042314, 2383c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-09-12
6. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Versank ich jetzt (w. Kurt) 0944055, 2392c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-09-13
7. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Die Frist ist um XX76030, xxB3417-2 Odeon, Berlin 1908-10
8. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Wie aus der Ferne 0942066, 2378c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-09-11
9. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Wie aus der Ferne 0942066, 2378c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-09-11
10. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Doch eines Abends spat X99182 xB3408-2 Odeon, Berlin 1908-10
11. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Verachtet mir die Meister nicht XX76007 xxB3422 Odeon, Berlin 1908-03
12. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Wahn! Wahn! Überall Wahn! X99181 xB3407-2 Odeon, Berlin 1908-10
13. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Was duftet doch der Flieder XX76039 xxB4601 Odeon, Berlin 1909-09
14. Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) So lang hab’ ich geschmachtet (w. Bosetti) X64744 xB3433 Odeon, Berlin 1908-03
15. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prolog 0942069, 2379c Gramophone, Berlin 1911-09-11
16. Rheingold (Wagner) Abendlich strahlt 4-42469 15827b Gramophone, Berlin 1911-09-11
17. Rheingold (Wagner) Abendlich strahlt X99341 xB4600 Odeon, Berlin 1909-09
18. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Blick’ ich umher 042215 384s Gramophone, München 1909-07
19. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Blick’ ich umher XX76040 xxB4602 Odeon, Berlin 1909-09
20. Tannhäuser (Wagner) O du mein holder Abendstern X99342 xB4603 Odeon, Berlin 1909-09
21. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Wie Todesahnung 042216 385s Gramophone, München 1909-07
22. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Wohl wusst’ ich hier sie X99344 xB4621 Odeon, Berlin 1909-09
23. Tannhäuser (Wagner) O Himmel, lass dich jetzt erflehen X99343 xB4604 Odeon, Berlin 1909-09
24. Walküre (Wagner) Wotans Abschied, pt 1 0942064, 387s Gramophone, München 1909-07
25. Walküre (Wagner) Wotans Abschied, Pt 2 0942065 388s Gramophone, München 1909-07