Description

LUDWIG HOFMANN (FRANKFURT AM MAIN, 14 JANUARY, 1895 – FRANKFURT AM MAIN, 28 DECEMBER, 1963)

 

 

 

 

Trained by Ricutini in Frankfurt and later in Milan, he made his debut in 1918 at the Bamberg City Theater. Subsequent engagements included the Dessau State Theater (1919–20), the Bremen City Theater (1920–25), the Wiesbaden State Theater (1925–28), the Deutsches Opernhaus Berlin (1928–32), the Berlin State Opera (1932–35), and the Vienna State Opera (1935–1955).

At the Berlin State Opera, he participated in the 1932 premiere of Verdi’s Sicilian Vespers, in Simon Boccanegra (1930), and in 1939 in the world premiere of Wagner-Régeny’s The Burghers of Calais. In 1928, he made his first appearance at the Bayreuth Festival as Gurnemanz in Parsifal. Until 1942, he sang numerous Wagnerian heroes, including the Landgrave in Tannhäuser and Hagen in Götterdämmerung.

He was also highly successful at the Salzburg Festival, where he sang Pizarro in Fidelio (1929), Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1935), Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro (1935–36), King Marke in Tristan und Isolde (1936), and Repela in Hugo Wolf’s Der Corregidor (1936).

Guest appearances took him to leading opera houses worldwide: La Scala in Milan, Covent Garden in London (1932, 1939, 1955, debuting as Hagen in Götterdämmerung), and all the major German theaters. He also sang at the Wagner Festival at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris (1930), with the Wagner Society in Amsterdam, in Belgium, in Scandinavia, and at the San Francisco Opera (1937).

In 1932, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in New York as Hagen in Götterdämmerung and remained there until 1938, performing such roles as Wotan and Fasolt in Der Ring des Nibelungen, King Henry in Lohengrin, and Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger. In 1931, he appeared at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires in the premiere of Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex. He also sang frequently in his hometown of Frankfurt. In 1938, his portrayal of Boris Godunov at the Berlin State Opera caused a sensation.

He was a member of the Vienna State Opera until 1942, where he continued to perform as a guest until 1955. After the Second World War, he resumed his distinguished international career with appearances in London, Berlin, and Brussels. On 17 August 1953, he took part in the Salzburg Festival premiere of Gottfried von Einem’s opera The Trial. In 1955, he returned to Brussels as Wotan.

He spent his later years in London as a teacher. His extensive, dark bass voice, full of dramatic power, was particularly admired in Wagnerian roles. He recorded for Parlophon, Polydor, Clangor, and Pathé. HMV issued the last act of Parsifal with Gotthelf Pistor under Karl Muck, and BASF released excerpts from Tristan, Tannhäuser, and Verdi’s La forza del destino. Preiser has issued a complete Lohengrin (Melodram) and his Commendatore in Don Giovanni. Live performance recordings have also appeared on EJS (Marke in Tristan and Fasolt in Rheingold, Metropolitan Opera 1935 and 1938), UORC (King Henry in Lohengrin, Met 1937), and Discocorp (scenes from Götterdämmerung, Bayreuth 1937). Koch has released additional fragments from Vienna State Opera performances, in which he is heard primarily as a Wagner interpreter.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Barcarole (w. Salvatini) O-8723 xxB7851 Odeon, Berlin 1927-11-19

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Flieder-Monolog des Hans Sachs 1. Teil MD 9643 MD 9643 I Schallplatten-Volksverband

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Flieder-Monolog des Hans Sachs 2. Teil MD 9644 MD 9644 Schallplatten-Volksverband

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Verachtet mir die Meister nicht MD 9645 MD 9645 Schallplatten-Volksverband

Faust (Gounod) Rondo 62685 1604BH I Grammophon, Berlin 1929

Faust (Gounod) Serenade 62685 1605BH I Grammophon, Berlin 1929

Im tiefen Keller sitz’ ich hier (Fischer) O-6661 xxB8145 Odeon, Berlin 1928-06-21

Jonny spielt auf (Krenek) Leb’ wohl, mein Schatz O-6565 xxB7910 Odeon, Berlin 1927-12-22

Jonny spielt auf (Krenek) Nun ist die Geige mein O-6565 xxB7909 Odeon, Berlin 1927-12-22

Lohengrin (Wagner) Mein Herr und Gott (Königsgebet) 62684 Grammophon, Berlin 1929

Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nicolai) Als Büblein klein O-6661 xxB8146 Odeon, Berlin 1928-06-21

Martha (Flotow) Laß mich euch fragen (Porterlied) 62686 Grammophon, Berlin 1929

Undine (Lortzing) Im Wein ist Wahrheit (w. Peters) 62686 Grammophon, Berlin 1929

Undine (Lortzing) Lied an die Flasche (Pabst) O-6669 xxB8143 Odeon, Berlin 1928-06-21

Verratene Liebe (Cornelius) (w. Salvatini) O-8723 xxB7852 Odeon, Berlin 1927-11-19

Waffenschmied (Lortzing) Auch ich war ein Jüngling 66927 Grammophon, Berlin 1929

Wohlauf noch getrunken (Wanderlied) (Schumann) 90172 Grammophon, Berlin 1929

Zar und Zimmermann (Lortzing) Sonst spielt’ ich O-6669 xxB8144-2 Odeon, Berlin 1928-06-21

Zauberflöte (Mozart) In diesen heil’gen Hallen 66927 Grammophon, Berlin 1929

Zauberflöte (Mozart) O Isis und Osiris 62684 Grammophon, Berlin 1929