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. Mit Myrthen und Rosen (Schumann) 942669 13747r Gramophone, Berlin 1914-03-27
2. Mondnacht (Schumann) 942659 13326 Gramophone, Berlin 1914-03-27
3. Parsifal (Wagner) Nur eine Waffe taugt 40726 Columbia, Berlin 1905
4. Persisches Lied (Metzdorff) 942329 13955L Gramophone, Berlin 1912-06-21
5. Rienzi (Wagner) Allmächt’ge Vater (Gebet) 4-42088 7301L Gramophone, Berlin 1908
6. Rienzi (Wagner) Erstehe, hohe Roma 3-42767 9736u G&T, Berlin 1906-11
7. Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo) Elsbeth! gott stehe allzeit bei (w. Farrar) G&T 44445 2483 G&T, Berlin 1904-12
8. Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo) ich! ihn lieben (part 2) (w. Farrar) G&T 44444 2482L G&T, Berlin 1904-12
9. Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo) In stiller Brust ein Traum, pt 1 (w. Farrar) G&T 44443 2481L G&T, Berlin 1904-12
10. Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo) Ja! Dich nur liebe ich (part 2) (w. Farrar) G&T 44452 2498 12L G&T, Berlin 1904-12
11. Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo) Nun wohl! Dann hast du auch (part 1) (w. Farrar) G&T 44446 2484L G&T, Berlin 1904-12
12. Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo) Treu dem Gebet 39017 XPh1007 OdeonFonotipia, Berlin 1905-02-10
13. Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo) Vision des Henning 39019 XPh1009 OdeonFonotipia, Berlin 1905-02-10
14. Siegfried (Wagner) Schmiede, mein Hammer 40730 Columbia, Berlin 1905
15. Strömt herbei, ihr Völkerscharen (Rheinlied) (Peters) 942294 13957L Gramophone, Berlin 1912-06-21
16. Venetianisches Gondellied (Mendelssohn) 942670 13741r Gramophone, Berlin 1914-03-27
17. Walküre (Wagner) Winterstürme 4-42087 7300L Gramophone, Berlin 1908
18. Zauberflöte (Mozart) Dies Bildnis 2-22085 1041ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-05-13
19. Zauberflöte (Mozart) Dies Bildnis 3-42451 3949h G&T, Berlin 1905-1011