Description

PAUL PAPSDORF (DRESDEN, 13. 10. 1881 – TRELLEBORG/SCHWEDEN, 6. 10. 1941)

 

 

 

 

As a boy, he sang in the choir of the Dresden Court Church and later became an elementary school teacher. While working in this profession, he studied singing in Dresden. In 1910 he began his stage career at the Court Theatre in Altenburg (Thuringia).

His stage repertoire included Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Parsifal, Pedro in d’Albert’s Tiefland, and the Prophet in Eugen d’Albert’s Die toten Augen.

In 1912 he made a single recording for Edison in Berlin.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1910-1913 Altenburg Hoftheater

1911 Leipzig am Opernhaus

1914-1917 Bremen Stadttheater

1917-1918 Posen Stadttheater

1919-1925 Berlin-Charlottenburg Deutschen Opernhaus

1921 Zoppot Festival

1925-1930 Stettin Stadttheater

 

 

HANS BECHSTEIN (MUNICH, 1872, 17/7 – MUNICH, 1943, 20/2)

 

 

 

 

He first received his education as a pianist and actor at the Academy of Music in Munich and began his stage career in 1893 at the Municipal Theater of Lucerne as an actor. He then appeared in Meiningen, Nuremberg, and at the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich (1899–1900), where he also began performing as a singer. He subsequently studied voice in Munich and made his operatic debut at the Stadttheater of Lübeck (1902–1903).

Following this, he sang at the Hoftheater of Altenburg in Thuringia, at the Stadttheater of Mülhausen (Alsace) during the 1907–1908 season, and at the Stadttheater of Bremen from 1908 to 1911. He became regarded as one of the most significant German tenors specializing in character roles. His most celebrated role was Mime in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, which he performed more than 300 times at major international venues.

He sang Mime at London’s Covent Garden between 1907 and 1914. In 1922, he created the role of Mime in the first complete performance of the Ring Cycle at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also appeared at the Hofoper in Dresden (1905) and Berlin (1909, as Mime), in Amsterdam (1908, as the Steersman in Der fliegende Holländer), and at the Hoftheater of Mannheim (1909) and Wiesbaden (1910). He performed at the Teatro Real in Madrid and, in 1922, in Rio de Janeiro.

In 1913, he took part at Covent Garden in the English premiere of Waltershausen’s opera Colonel Chabert. That same year, he also appeared in the Covent Garden premiere of Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, singing the role of Valzacchi.

During the 1920s, he toured the United States, performing in cities such as Chicago and Philadelphia, and was often heard at the Staatsoper in Munich. He also had success as an operetta singer and was active as a music educator in Munich.

Sadly, from 1933 onward, he was forced to give up his career in Germany due to his Jewish heritage.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1899-1900 Munich Gärtnerplatztheater

1902-1903 Lübeck Stadttheater

1907-1908 Mülhausen Stadttheater

1907-1914 London Covent Garden

1908-1911 Bremen Stadttheater

1912 Buenos Aires Teatro Colón

 

 

HANS LISSMANN (HAMBURG, 19 SEPTEMBER 1885 – LEIPZIG, 26 MAY, 1964)

 

 

 

 

He was born into a family of musicians. His father was the bass-baritone Friedrich Heinrich Lissmann (1847–1894), and his mother was the soprano Anna Marie Lissmann-Gutzschbach (1847–1928). His sister, Eva-Katharina Lissmann (1883–?), was also a respected concert singer.

He studied in Leipzig and Dresden, where his teachers included Arthur Nikisch. He initially worked as a conductor at several German theatres before turning to singing. He studied voice with Raimund von Zur and later completed his vocal training in Milan with Ernesto Colli. Until 1913 he appeared on Italian operatic stages.

In 1913 he returned to Germany and, after a brief engagement at the Hamburg Volksoper, became the principal lyric tenor of the Leipzig Opera, where he remained from 1914 to 1933. There he took part in the world premiere of Eugen d’Albert’s Revolutionshochzeit in 1919 and, in 1927, in the premiere of Max Ettinger’s Clavigo.

He made successful guest appearances at many of Germany’s leading opera houses and was also highly regarded as a concert singer. In Leipzig he frequently appeared in concert performances.

From 1923 to 1954 he taught singing at the Leipzig Conservatory.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1914-1933 Leipzig Opernhaus

 

 

JOHANNES SCHEURICH

 

 

 

Johannes Scheurich was a German tenor who was active during the early 1920s. He was a member of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, where he appeared in both Wagnerian and Italian repertoire. His documented performances there include Ritter Hugo von Ringstetten in Lortzing’s Undine (1920), Froh in Wagner’s Das Rheingold (1920), Manrico in Verdi’s Der Troubadour (1921), and the title role in Offenbach’s Hoffmanns Erzählungen (1922).

In 1923 Scheurich took part in a North American tour of the German Opera Company. He appeared in Baltimore, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Cleveland, singing principally Wagnerian roles. His repertoire during the tour included Walther in Tannhäuser, Froh in Das Rheingold, the Steersman in Der fliegende Holländer, and Zorn in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. He also gave a concert at the Lexington Theatre in New York on March 31, 1923.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

Jan. 24. 1920 Deutsche Oper, Berlin Undine (Ritter Hugo von Ringstetten)

Nov. 8. 1920 Deutsche Oper, Berlin Das Rheingold (Froh)

Nov. 6. 1921Deutsche Oper, Berlin Der Troubadour (Manrico)

Mar. 3. 1922 Deutsche Oper, Berlin Hoffmanns Erzählungen (Hoffmann)

Feb. 3. 1923 Lyric Theater, Baltimore Tannhäuser (Walther)

Feb. 12. 1923 Manhattan Opera House, New York Die Meistersinger (Zorn)

Feb. 24. 1923 Manhattan Opera House, New York Der fliegende Holländer (Steersman)

Mar. 7. 1923 Manhattan Opera House, New York Der fliegende Holländer (Steersman)

Mar. 31. 1923 Lexington Theatre, New York Concert

Apr. 3. 1923 Opera House, Boston Tannhäuser (Walther)

Apr. 6. 1923 Opera House, Boston Der fliegende Holländer (Steersman)

Apr. 11. 1923 Opera House, Boston Das Rheingold (Froh)

Apr. 16. 1923 Lyric Theater, Baltimore Das Rheingold (Froh)

Apr. 20. 1923 Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia Das Rheingold (Froh)

Apr. 28 . 1923 Schenley Theater, Pittsburgh Der fliegende Holländer (Steersman)

Apr. 30. 1923 Orchestra Hall, Detroit Tannhäuser (Walther)

May 6. 1923 Metropolitan Theatre, Cleveland Tannhäuser (Walther)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Paul Papsdorf Lohengrin (Wagner) In fernem Land 26141 Edison, Berlin 1912

Hans Bechstein Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) In den Jahren Beka 13590 Berlin 1911-05

Hans Bechstein Rheingold (Wagner) Immer ist Undank Loges Lohn! P691 Parlophon, Berlin 1911-05

Hans Bechstein Siegfried (Wagner) Nun tobst du wieder wie toll P694 Parlophon, Berlin 1911-05

Hans Bechstein Undine (Lortzing) Da lieg’, du altes Mondgewehr Beka 13589 Berlin 1911-05

Hans Lissmann Joseph (Méhul) Vaterland, dich muß ich jung verlassen Parlophon P1404 2-6009

Hans Lissmann Zauberflöte (Mozart) Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön Parlophon P1404 2-6011

Johannes Scheurich Carmen (Bizet) Ich seh die Mutter dort with Seinemeyer 666 Artiphon, Berlin 1919-11-08

Johannes Scheurich Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni0 No, no, Turiddu (w. Seinemeyer) 667 Artiphon, Berlin 1919-12-08

Johannes Scheurich Die Schwätzerin von Saragossa (Offenbach) Spanisches Lied P. 1069-II 2527 Parlophon

Johannes Scheurich Trovatore (Verdi) Ins unsre Heimat with Weber 668 Artiphon, Berlin 1919-11-08