Description

HERMANN WEIL (MÜHLBURG, 1876 – NEW YORK, 6 JULY, 1949)

 

 

 

 

He initially aspired to become an elementary school teacher but later studied music theory, musicology, and conducting at the Karlsruhe Conservatory under Felix Mottl. He received his vocal training from Adolf Dippel in Frankfurt am Main. In 1901, he made his debut at the Municipal Theatre of Freiburg, performing the role of Wolfram in Wagner’s Tannhäuser. From Freiburg, he joined the Stuttgart Court Opera in 1904, where he performed with great success until 1933. In Stuttgart, he sang in notable premieres, including Walter Braunfels’ opera Prinzessin Brambilla (March 25, 1909), as well as in the premieres of Richard Strauss’s operas Salome (1905 as Jochanaan) and Elektra (as Orest), and Hans Pfitzner’s Der arme Heinrich.

In 1909, he made guest appearances in Amsterdam, performing as Sebastiano in Eugen d’Albert’s Tiefland and as Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde (1911). During the 1912-1914 seasons, he sang at the Boston Opera House and also appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in New York starting in 1911. In 1913, he performed in the Metropolitan Opera’s premiere of Faninal in Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. However, when the United States entered World War I, he was interned in America from 1917 to 1919 as a German national. After his release, he sang in a German opera troupe at the Lexington Theatre in New York in 1919.

He was a celebrated interpreter of Wagner’s operas at the Bayreuth Festival, performing in Parsifal, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Götterdämmerung during the 1911-1912 seasons, and as Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger from 1924 to 1925. He was active at the Vienna State Opera from 1920 to 1923 and toured the USA with the German Opera Company from 1923 to 1924. In 1939, he was forced to leave Germany and settled in New York, where he worked as a voice teacher. His stage repertoire included more than 100 roles, with particular distinction in Wagnerian roles such as Hans Sachs and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1901 Freiburg Municipal Theatre Tannhäuser (Wolfram)

1904-1933 Stuttgart Court Opera

1909 Amsterdam Opera House

1911 Amsterdam Opera House

1912-1914 Boston Opera House

1911 New York Metropolitan Opera

1919 New York Lexington Theatre

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Rigoletto (Verdi) Rede! Sind wir allein (w. Bosetti) 76099 xxB5153 Odeon, Berlin 1910
2. Schwäbische Ländler E3172 43953 Columbia, New York 1916/1917
3. Tannhäuser (Wagner) O kehr zurück du kühner 104A Vox, Berlin 1922
4. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Erbarm’ dich mein (w. Rains, Vogelstrom, Kirchhoff, Schoeffel, Neudahm, Armster & chorus) 80053 xxB4938 Odeon, Berlin 1910
5. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Ich fleh’ für ihn (w. Krull, Rains, Vogelstrom, Kirchhoff, Schoeffel, Neudahm, Armster & chorus) 50708 xB4939 Odeon, Berlin 1910
6. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Ihr habt’s gehört (w. Krull, Rains, Kirchhoff, Schoeffel, Neudahm, Armster & chorus) 50706 xB4937 Odeon, Berlin 1910
7. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Mit ihnen sollst du wallen (w. Krull, Rains, Vogelstrom, Kirchhoff, Schoeffel, Neudahm, Armster & chorus) 50710 xB4940 Odeon, Berlin 1910
8. Tannhäuser (Wagner) O Fürstin (w. Krull & Vogelstrom) 50701, xB4927 Odeon, Berlin 1910
9. Tannhäuser (Wagner) O Himmel… Dir, Göttinder Liebe (w. Vogelstrom & chorus) 50705 xB4936 Odeon, Berlin 1910
10. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Wohl wußt’ ich hier sie im Gebet zu finden 03082 Vox, Berlin 1922
11. Traviata (Verdi) Fräulein Valery… Gott schenkte (w. Bosetti) 76097 xxB5143 Odeon, Berlin 1910
12. Traviata (Verdi) Hat dein heimatliches Land 4-42167 5179r Gramophone, Stuttgart 1908
13. Traviata (Verdi) Hat dein heimatliches Land 99551 xB4946 Odeon, Berlin 1910
14. Traviata (Verdi) Hat ein heimatliches Land 03081 Vox, Berlin 1922
15. Traviata (Verdi) Hin ist die Hoffnung (w. Bosetti) 99653 xB5141 Odeon, Berlin 1910
16. Traviata (Verdi) Weine, o weine, armes Kind (w. Bosetti) 99654 xB5142 Odeon, Berlin 1910
17. Traviata (Verdi) Wenn mit der Zeit (w. Bosetti) 76098 xxB5144 Odeon, Berlin 1910
18. Waldandacht (Abt) A5864 59431 Columbia, New York 19161917
19. Zar und Zimmermann (Lortzing) Sonst spielt’ ich 3080 192B Vox, Berlin 1922
20. Zueignung (R Strauss) 3079 Vox, Berlin 1922