Description

FRANZ MICHAEL BOHNEN (COLOGNE, GERMANY, 2 MAY, 1887 – BERLIN, GERMANY, 26 APRIL, 1965)

 

 

 

 

He studied singing at the Cologne Conservatory under Fritz Steinbach and Richard Dornburg, making his debut in 1910 at the Opernhaus in Düsseldorf as Kaspar in Der Freischütz. In 1910, he also performed in the premiere of Alfred Kaiser’s opera Stella Maris. Between 1911 and 1914, he was engaged at the Hoftheater in Wiesbaden.

In 1914, he joined the Hofoper in Berlin, achieving sensational success as Gurnemanz in Parsifal. That same year, he made guest appearances in London at the Drury Lane Theatre (as Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier under Sir Thomas Beecham) and at the Bayreuth Festival, performing as Hunding and Daland. During World War I, he served as a soldier but formed a 200-strong soldiers’ choir, with whom he toured German cities. Discharged from military service in 1916, he resumed his career at the Hofoper in Berlin, where he performed until 1918.

In 1922, he joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York, enjoying great success until 1932. He sang Francesco in the American premiere of Max von Schillings’ opera Mona Lisa, opposite Barbara Kemp, the composer’s wife (March 1, 1923). His final appearance at the Met was in 1932 as the Wanderer in Siegfried.

The composer Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek wrote his opera Holofernes for him, and he created the title role at its Berlin premiere at the Deutsche Oper on October 27, 1923. He also participated in the world premiere of Leo Blech’s Rappelkopf (1917). In 1928, he starred in Berlin in the operetta Casanova by Johann Strauss-Benatzky and continued to perform in numerous operettas and films.

He made guest appearances in Vienna (1920-1922, 1938), Budapest (1925), Buenos Aires (Teatro Colón, 1933), Basel and Bern (1920-1922), The Hague (as Kaspar in Der Freischütz, 1927), and at the Salzburg Festival (as Kaspar, 1939). He also performed in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, and Czechoslovakia.

After his success in the U.S., he returned to Germany in 1932 and performed at the Deutschen Opernhaus in Berlin from 1935 to 1945, focusing increasingly on film work. From 1945 to 1947, he served as director of the Städtische Oper in Berlin. His final stage performance was as Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in 1951.

He was briefly married to soprano Mary Lewis (1900–1941) and later to dancer La Jana (1905–1941).

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

1. Africaine (Meyerbeer) Dir, o Königin Gramophone B22178 1098as
2. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Die Verleumdung Favorite 2-15089
3. Carmen (Bizet) Auf in den Kampf Odeon O-6804, xxB7495
4. Erlkönig (Loewe) Odeon O-6818 xxB7499
5. Faust (Gounod) Le veau d’or Odeon O-6804 xxB7497
6. Faust (Gounod) Mephisto-Serenade Gramophone 4-42557, 13630r
7. Faust (Gounod) Rondo vom goldenen Kalb (w. chorus) Gramophone 4-42558, 61716
8. Faust (Gounod) Wohlan, unterschreibe (w. Hutt) Gramophone 3-44163 19040L
9. Fidelio (Beethoven) Hat man nicht auch Geld beineben Favorite 2-15085
10. Hans Heiling (Marschner) An jenem Tag Gramophone B22042 1115m
11. Juive (Halévy) Wenn ew’ger Haß Odeon O-6808
12. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Doch eines Abends spät Odeon XX76571 xxB6286
13. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Geliebter, spare den Zorn (w. Bettendorf, Lüders & Öhman) Parlophon P9014 2-8903xxB7518
14. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Jerum, Jerum (w. Bettendorf, Öhman & Schützendorf) Parlophon P9014
15. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Wahn! Wahn! Odeon XX76570, xxB6285
16. Mona Lisa (von Schillings) Seht hier des Meeres wunderbarsten Schatz Gramophone B22093 1009as
17. Otello (Verdi) O komm, mein liebes Becherlein Gramophone 4-42653 19052L
18. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prolog Odeon XX76710, xxB6293
19. Parsifal (Wagner) O Wunden – wundervoller heiliger Speer! Odeon 76461 xxB6061
20. Parsifal (Wagner) Titurel, der fromme Held Odeon 76462 xxB6060
21. Prinz Eugen (Loewe) Odeon O-6818, xxB7498
22. Prodana Nevesta (Smetana) Wer in Lieb’ entbrannt Odeon O-6808 xxB7494
23. Rheingold (Wagner) Abendlich strahlt Gramophone 042574 1410s
24. Rigoletto (Verdi) Gleich sind wir beide Odeon XX76709 xxB6292
25. Robert le diable (Meyerbeer) Voici donc les débris Gramophone F22061 1036as

GERMAN BASS-BARITONE MICHAEL BOHNEN (1887-1965) CDR

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