Description

HEINRICH HENSEL (NEUSTADT, GERMANY, 29 OCTOBER, 1874 – HAMBURG, GERMANY, 23 FEBRUARY, 1935)

 

 

 

 

He originally wanted to pursue a commercial career but was discovered by the conductor Felix Mottl. He studied with Gustav Walter in Vienna and Eduard Bellwidt in Frankfurt am Main. In 1897, he made his debut at the municipal theater in Freiburg im Breisgau as Alessandro in Flotow’s Alessandro Stradella. From there, he went to the opera house in Frankfurt am Main in 1900, where his inaugural role was Lyonel in Flotow’s Martha. He remained a member of the Frankfurt company until 1906. In 1902, he appeared in Frankfurt in the world premiere of Humperdinck’s opera Sleeping Beauty, performing the role of the Prince.

From 1906 to 1911, he sang at the court theater in Wiesbaden, where he was greatly admired by the young Richard Tauber. On January 23, 1910, he took part in the world premiere of Siegfried Wagner’s opera Banadietrich at the court theater in Karlsruhe. In 1911-12, he performed Parsifal and Loge in the Ring cycle at the Bayreuth Festival. He also sang the role of Loge from 1911-14 at Covent Garden Opera in London.

From 1911-12, he was engaged at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making his debut as Siegmund in Die Walküre. In 1912, he also appeared at the Chicago Opera. From 1912-1929, he was a celebrated heroic tenor and a leading Wagnerian performer at the Hamburg City Theater (Opera House). In 1914, he sang Parsifal in the first performances of the opera at both Covent Garden in London and the Brussels Opera.

He made guest appearances in major European cities including Copenhagen, Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Paris, and Zurich (where he performed Lohengrin in 1907, and Siegmund and Siegfried in 1912). He also sang Lohengrin in Amsterdam in 1910.

In addition to his Wagnerian repertoire, his stage roles included Manrico in Il Trovatore, Tamino in The Magic Flute, George Brown in Boieldieu’s La Dame blanche, Raoul in Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, and Chapelou in Adam’s Le Postillon de Lonjumeau.

Later in his career, he worked as a voice teacher in Hamburg. He was married to the dramatic soprano Elsa Hensel-Schweitzer (1871-1937), but the two artists separated in 1910.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Africaine (Meyerbeer) Land so wunderbar 4-42267 956ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-27
2. Africaine (Meyerbeer) Land so wunderbar 82045 Edison, 1912
3. Auf Flügeln des Gesanges (Mendelssohn) 4-42449, 11083L Gramophone, Berlin 1910-08-03
4. Auf Flügeln des Gesanges (Mendelssohn) 30055 Edison 4-min cylinders, USA 1911
5. Farinelli (Zumpe) Küsse mich 3-42407 3312L G&T, Frankfurt-am-Main 1905
6. Frühlingsglaube (Schubert) 4-42382 11080L Gramophone, Berlin 1910-08-03
7. Frühlingslied (Gounod) 4-42452 11085½L Gramophone, Berlin 1910-08-03
8. Frühlingslied (Mendelssohn) 4-42450 11084L Gramophone, Berlin 1910-08-03
9. Götterdämmerung (Wagner) Brünnhilde, heilige Braut P1210 2-2954 Parlophon, Berlin 1921-06-29
10. Götterdämmerung (Wagner) Mime hieß ein mürrischer Zwerg 623-B Edison 4-min cylinders, USA 1911
11. Gute Nacht, du mein herziges Kind (Abt) 3-42336 3310L G&T, Frankfurt-am-Main 1905
12. Heimliche Aufforderung (R Strauss) 4-42466 11082L Gramophone, Berlin 1910-08-03
13. Lohengrin (Wagner) Höchstes Vertrau’n 042203 117ac Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-28
14. Lohengrin (Wagner) In fernem Land 042278 486m Gramophone, Berlin 1910-08-03
15. Lohengrin (Wagner) Mein lieber Schwan 042277 116ac Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-28
16. Lohengrin (Wagner) Mein lieber Schwan 76306 xxB5689 Odeon, Berlin 1912
17. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Am stillen Herd 624-A Edison 4-min cylinders, USA 1911
18. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Fanget an 042202 115ac Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-28
19. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Morgenlich leuchtend 4-42268 960ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-28
20. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Morgenlich leuchtend 76307 xxB5691 Odeon, Berlin 1912
21. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Scherzet immer 4-42424 11090L Gramophone, Berlin 1910-08-03
22. Parsifal (Wagner) Nur eine Waffe taugt P1208 2-2956 Parlophon, Berlin 1921-06-29
23. Rheingold (Wagner) Immer ist Undank Loges Lohn 042259 482m Gramophone, Berlin 1910-08-02