Description

WILHELM GRÜNING (BERLIN, 2 NOVEMBER, 1858 – BERLIN, 2 DECEMBER, 1942)

 

 

 

He was the son of a Berlin jeweller and studied singing in Berlin under Julius Stern and Jenny Meyer. He made his debut in 1881 at the Stadttheater in Gdansk as a lyric tenor, but around 1885, his voice shifted towards the heroic tenor repertoire. From Gdansk, he moved to the Opernhaus in Düsseldorf, where he sang from 1883 to 1885, followed by performances at the Deutschen Theater in Rotterdam during the 1885-1887 seasons. Between 1888 and 1895, he was a prominent performer at the Hoftheater in Hannover, and from 1895 to 1898, he sang at the Stadttheater in Hamburg.

In 1898, he joined the prestigious Hofoper in Berlin, where he remained until 1911. His involvement in the Bayreuth Festival from 1891 to 1897 included performances as Parsifal, Tannhäuser, Siegfried, and Walther von Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. His portrayal of the title role in Wagner’s Rienzi was considered one of his most outstanding achievements.

At the Berlin Hofoper, he participated in several notable premieres, including Briseïs by Emmanuel Chabrier in 1899, Cain by Eugen d’Albert in 1900, Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1901, and Der Pfeifertag by Max von Schillings in 1902. He also appeared in the premiere of Der Roland von Berlin by Ruggero Leoncavallo in 1904, and in 1899, he sang in the posthumous premiere of Albert Lortzing’s Regina, which had been composed 48 years prior to its debut.

His international career included guest appearances in London, Amsterdam, and performances in the USA during the 1895-1896 season with the Damrosch Opera Company. He likely retired from the stage in 1911 and remained active in Berlin as a vocal pedagogue. He was married to the renowned dramatic soprano Antonie Mielke (1856-1907).

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Am Meer (Schubert) 942658 13325 Gramophone, Berlin 1914-03-27
2. Auf Flügeln des Gesanges (Mendelssohn) 942310 13952L Gramophone, Berlin 1912-06-21
3. Auf Flügeln des Gesanges Polyphon 23762
4. Das Herz am Rhein (Hill) 942295 13956L Gramophone, Berlin 1912-06-21
5. Der Engel (Wagner) (Kelly) or Der Engel Lied (Brago) (Weiherm.) 942330 13953L Gramophone, Berlin 1912-06-21
6. Der Neugierige (Schubert) 942657 13742r Gramophone, Berlin 1914-03-27
7. Du bist wie eine Blume (Schumann) 942660 13326 Gramophone, Berlin 1914-03-27
8. Elias (Mendelssohn) So ihr mich von ganzem Herzen suchet Polyphon  23763
9. Faust (Gounod) O Tag, dir gilt mein letzter Gruss (w. chorus) 042128 512½i G&T, Berlin 1906-02
10. Freischütz (Weber) Durch die Wälder 2-22086 1038ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-05-13
11. Freischütz (Weber) Durch die Wälder 3-42431 3950h G&T, Berlin 1905-1011
12. Ich grolle nicht (Schumann) 942311 13954L Gramophone, Berlin 1912-06-21
13. Lohengrin (Wagner) Atmest du nicht  V 2-22072 1040ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-05-13
14. Lohengrin (Wagner) Atmest du nicht 3-42391 3789h G&T, Berlin 1905-09
15. Lohengrin (Wagner) Höchstes Vertrau’n 3-42390 3788h G&T, Berlin 1905-09
16. Lohengrin (Wagner) Kommt er dann heim 3-42455 3792h G&T, Berlin 1905-09
17. Lohengrin (Wagner) Mein lieber Schwan (Abschied, pt 1) 3-42454 3791h G&T, Berlin 1905-09
18. Lohengrin (Wagner) Nun sei bedankt (Schwanenlied) 3-42410 3790h G&T, Berlin 1905-09
19. Lohengrin (Wagner) Nun sei bedankt V 2-22071 1039½ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-05-13
20. Meistersinger von Nnberg (Wagner) Morgenlich leuchtend 40728 Columbia, Berlin 1905