Description

FRANZ VÖLKER (NEU-ISENBURG, GERMANY, MARCH, 31, 1899 † DARMSTADT, GERMANY, DECEMBER 5, 1965)

First, he became a bank official. His voice was discovered by the conductor Clemens Krauss, and he briefly trained in Frankfurt am Main. In 1926, he made his debut as Florestan in Fidelio at the Opera House in Frankfurt am Main, where he remained a member of the ensemble until 1935. Through frequent guest appearances, he maintained strong ties to Frankfurt.

During the 1931-1935, 1939-1940, and 1949-1950 seasons, he was a member of the Vienna State Opera. In 1931, he performed for the first time at the Salzburg Festival, appearing as Ferrando in Così fan tutte. Between 1931 and 1934, he sang Florestan in Fidelio, and in the 1932-1933 season, he portrayed the Emperor in Die Frau ohne Schatten by Richard Strauss. In 1934, he performed as Menelas in Die ägyptische Helena, also by Richard Strauss, and in 1939, he sang Max in Der Freischütz.

However, his greatest successes came at the Bayreuth Festival, where he was a key performer from 1933 to 1942. At Bayreuth, he also sang roles such as Siegmund, Erik, and Parsifal.

In 1935, he was engaged by the Berlin State Opera, where he had been a frequent guest since 1933. He made guest appearances at major international venues, including Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London (in 1934 and 1937, as Florestan in Fidelio and Siegmund in Die Walküre), the Grand Opéra in Paris (1936, as Florestan in Fidelio), as well as in Amsterdam (1935), Brussels, Budapest (1934), Rome (1938), the Maggio Musicale in Florence (1938), Hamburg, and Munich.

He remained in Berlin until 1945 and then worked at the Munich State Opera (1945-1952). He retired from the stage in 1952 and taught singing in Neu-Isenburg. From 1958, he was a professor at the Stuttgart University of Music. His son, Georg Völker, was one of his students and later became a successful baritone.

TRACKLIST

1. Das Veilchen (Mozart) 23468 (B43266) Polydor, Berlin 1930
2. Die Lotosblume (Schumann) 23468 (B43267) Polydor, Berlin 1930
3. Fidelio (Beethoven) Gott, welch Dunkel hier 95484 Polydor, Berlin 1933
4. Fidelio (Beethoven) In des Lebens Frühlingstagen 95484 Polydor, Berlin 1933
5. Meine Sonne (O sole mio) (di Capua) 27151 (B62290) Polydor, Berlin 1929
6. Otello (Verdi) Jeder Knabe kann mein Schwert (Niun mi tema) 95436 (B22494) Polydor, Berlin 1930
7. Rienzi (Wagner) Erstehe hohe Roma neu 95491 Polydor, Berlin 1933
8. Rosenlieder, No 1 (Eulenburg) Monatsrose 22736 (B43027) Polydor, Berlin 1929
9. Rosenlieder, No 2 (Eulenburg) Wilde Rose 22736 (B43028) Polydor, Berlin 1929
10. Sei gegrüsst, du mein schönes Sorrent (Waldmann) 27151 (B62291) Polydor, Berlin 1929
11. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Inbrunst im Herzen 95483 Polydor, Berlin 1933
12. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Nach Rom gelangt ich so 95483 Polydor, Berlin 1933
13. Walküre (Wagner) Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater 27291 Polydor, Berlin 1932
14. Walküre (Wagner) Siegmund heiss ich 27291 Polydor, Berlin 1932