Description

JULIUS GLESS (OLTINGUE, 24. 3. 1886 – BAD GODESBERG, 25. 12. 1967)

 

 

 

 

He received his training at the Strasbourg Conservatory and made his debut in 1910 at the Strasbourg City Theater, where he remained until 1914. From 1914 to 1920, he was engaged at the Cologne Opera House, during which time he also made guest appearances at the Vienna Court Opera (1916) and in Amsterdam (1918 and 1919). From 1920 to 1928, he was a member of the Munich State Opera, where he participated in several important premieres: on 30 October 1920 in Das Spielwerk by Franz Schreker (a new version of his 1913 opera Das Spielwerk und die Prinzessin), on 4 December 1920 in Die Vögel by Walter Braunfels, on 15 November 1924 in Don Gil von den grünen Hosen by the same composer, and on 17 January 1925 in Island-Saga by Georg Vollerthun.

From 1928 he worked as both singer and senior stage director at the Bayerische Landesbühne, a touring theater company, with which he performed in Holland in 1932, among other places. In 1929, he assumed a similar position at the Staatstheater in Schwerin, where he directed, among other productions, the world premiere of Graener’s opera Friedemann Bach (1931). He also appeared at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona in 1920, and was heard as a guest in Sweden and Switzerland.

His repertoire included Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Rocco in Fidelio, Kaspar in Der Freischütz, Daland in Der fliegende Holländer, King Marke in Tristan und Isolde, Hunding and Hagen in Der Ring des Nibelungen, Gurnemanz in Parsifal, Pimen in Boris Godunov, the Cardinal in Halévy’s La Juive, Méphistophélès in Gounod’s Faust, Stadinger in Der Waffenschmied, Colline in La Bohème, and Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier.

From 1938 to 1945, he held a professorship at the Cologne University of Music. His son, Ulrich Dieter Gless, became an actor.

Records: Only a few Vox recordings preserve his voluminous, expressive bass voice.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

Der Doppelgänger (Schubert) 03101 14A Vox, Berlin 1921-11

Der Kreuzzug (Schubert) 03101 13A Vox, Berlin 1921-11

Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) O, wie will ich triumphieren 03348 368A Vox, Berlin 1922

Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) Vivat Bacchus! (w. Seydel) 04019 370A Vox, Berlin 1922

Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden 03348 369A Vox, Berlin 1922

Faust (Gounod) Ja, das Gold regiert die Welt (Rondo) 3102 15B Vox, Berlin 1921-11

Faust (Gounod) Scheinst zu schlafen (Serenade) 3102 16B Vox, Berlin 1921-11

Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Mögst du mein Kind, pt 1 pt 2 3126, 3126, 569B, 570B Vox, Berlin 1922

Jahreszeiten (Haydn) Schon eilet froh der Ackersmann 03125 360A Vox, Berlin 1922

Juive (Halévy) Wenn ew’ger Haß 03336 362A Vox, Berlin 1922

Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Nun hört und versteht mich recht (Das schöne Fest) 03336 363A Vox, Berlin 1922

Parsifal (Wagner) Wie dünkt mich doch die Aue heut’ so schön 03124 361A Vox, Berlin 1922

Undine (Lortzing) Ach, wie köstlich ist das Reisen (w. Seydel) 04019 371A Vox, Berlin 1922

Waffenschmied (Lortzing) Auch ich war ein Jüngling 03103 17½A Vox, Berlin 1921-11

Zauberflöte (Mozart) O Isis und Osiris 03125 365A Vox, Berlin 1922