Description

RUDOLF BOCKELMANN (BODENTEICH, 2 APRIL, 1892 – DRESDEN, 9 OCTOBER, 1958)

 

 

 

 

From 1911, he studied philology and musicology at the University of Leipzig, then received vocal training from Oscar Laßner and Walter Soomer in Leipzig. He served as a volunteer in the First World War and was wounded several times. His voice was discovered by the famous conductor Arthur Nikisch and the baritone Karl Scheidemantel.

In 1920, he made his debut at the Celle City Theater. From 1921 to 1926, he sang at the Leipzig Opera, where he made his professional debut as the Herald in Lohengrin. From 1926 to 1932, he was engaged at the Hamburg Opera (City Theater). There, he sang in the premieres of Korngold’s The Miracle of Heliane (October 7, 1927) and Respighi’s The Sunken Bell (La campana sommersa) (November 15, 1927); in Leipzig, in The Life of Orestes by E. Křenek (January 19, 1930); at the Berlin State Opera in Hans Pfitzner’s The Heart (Das Herz) (November 14, 1931, with a simultaneous performance in Munich); in The Prince of Homburg by Paul Graener (1935); and in Rembrandt van Rijn by P. Klenau (January 23, 1937), in the title role.

From 1932 to 1944, he was one of the most prominent artists at the Berlin State Opera. In 1928, he appeared for the first time at the Bayreuth Festival. Until 1942, he was admired there as a great Wagnerian singer. At Bayreuth, he sang Kurwenal in Tristan (1928, 1930), Gunther in Götterdämmerung (1928, 1930), the Flying Dutchman (1939–42), and, above all, his incomparable Wotan in the operas of the Ring, which he performed between 1931 and 1942.

He appeared as a guest at the Grand Opéra in Paris (1934 as Hans Sachs), at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona, and from 1930 to 1932 at the Chicago Opera. From 1929 to 1930 and again from 1934 to 1938, he appeared annually at London’s Covent Garden Opera, primarily as Wotan and Hans Sachs. He also made guest appearances at the opera houses in Brussels, Amsterdam (1931 as Hans Sachs), and Antwerp (1932); at the State Operas in Vienna (1932–33) and Munich; at the State Opera in Budapest (1935); at the Zurich City Theatre; at the Deutsches Theater in Prague; and, in 1941, with the ensemble of the Berlin State Opera at the Rome Opera (as Hans Sachs). In 1933, he also appeared as a concert singer in Stockholm.

After the Second World War, he had difficulties continuing his career because of his sympathy with the art and theater policies of the National Socialist era. From 1946 to 1954, he lived in Hamburg as a singing teacher, and from 1946 to 1951, he occasionally appeared at the State Opera there as well as at other smaller theaters. In 1957, he finally ended his career, retiring from the stage at the Bielefeld City Theatre as Hans Sachs.

His stage roles included the title role in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Mr. Fluth in Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, Amfortas in Parsifal, Borromeo in Pfitzner’s Palestrina, Orestes in Strauss’s Elektra, William Tell in Rossini’s opera, Valentin in Gounod’s Faust, Amonasro in Aida, and Tonio in Pagliacci.

From 1955 onward, he was a professor at the Dresden Academy of Music. He was married to the singer Maria Weigand (*8 October 1902, Hanover). He possessed a powerful heroic baritone voice and delivered performances of the highest intensity, particularly in Wagnerian roles. He was also an important concert soloist.

Literature: Berndt W. Wessling, Verachtet mir die Meister nicht (1963).
Recordings: HMV, Columbia (including a Tristan recording from Bayreuth, 1928), Telefunken. Many reissues appeared on BASF, and he can be heard on Acanta as Wotan in scenes from Die Walküre.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Carmen (Bizet) Euren Toast (w. chorus) EH278 (4-042065) CLR5045-1 HMV, Berlin 1929-02

Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Spiegelarie EH278 (4-042066) CLR5048-1 HMV, Berlin 1929-02

Der heilige Franziskus (Loewe) EG1444 (8-42239) BLR5443-1 HMV, Berlin 1929-06

Heinrich der Vogler (Loewe) EG1444 (8-42240) BLR5444-2 HMV, Berlin 1929-06

Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Fliedermonolog, pt 1 SK1323 18928 Telefunken, Berlin 1933-02-03

Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Fliedermonolog, pt 2 SK1323 018929 Telefunken, Berlin 1933-02-03

Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Jerum, Jerum EH608 (62-754) CDR8963-2 HMV, Berlin 1930-08

Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Verachtet mir die Meister nicht EH608 (62-755) CDR8964-2 HMV, Berlin 1930-08

Odins Meeresritt (Loewe) EH309 (4-042079) CLR5446-1 HMV, Berlin 1929-06

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prolog, pt 1 EH279 (4-042067) CLR5046-1 HMV, Berlin 1929-02

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prolog, pt 2 EH279 (4-042068) CLR5047-2 HMV, Berlin 1929-02

Rheingold (Wagner) Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge SK1342 018938 Telefunken, Berlin 1933-02-10

Siegfried (Wagner) Kenntest du mich, kühner Spross… Zieh’ hin! Ich kann dich nicht halten (w. Melchior) EJ453 (2-044064), EJ453 (2-044065), CR2405-3, CR2406-2 HMV, Berlin 1929-05-22

Tannhäuser (Wagner) Blick’ ich umher SK1342 018937 Telefunken, Berlin 1933-02-10

Tom der Reimer (Loewe) EH309 (4-042078) CLR5445-1 HMV, Berlin 1929-06

Walküre (Wagner) Wotans Abschied und Feuerzauber, pt 1 EH607 (62-752) CDR8960-2 HMV, Berlin 1930-08

Walküre (Wagner) Wotans Abschied und Feuerzauber, pt 2 EH607 (62-753) CDR8961-1 HMV, Berlin 1930-08