Description

IVAR FRITHIOF ANDRÉSEN (KRISTIANIA (TODAY OSLO), 27 JULY, 1896 – STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 6 NOVEMBER, 1940)

He trained at the Royal Opera School in Stockholm under the guidance of Gillis W. Bratt and Hjaldis Ingebjart. Initially thought to have a tenor voice, he was later retrained as a bass during his studies. He was introduced to the Wagnerian style by Siegfried Wagner in Bayreuth and Bruno Kittel in Berlin. His debut came in 1919 as the King in Verdi’s Aida at the Stockholm Opera, where he also performed in the 1925 world premiere of Kurt Atterberg’s opera Bäckahästen. He remained a member of the Stockholm Opera until 1926, after which he joined the Dresden State Opera, serving there until 1934.

During his time in Dresden, he performed the role of Flounder in the 1930 world premiere of Othmar Schoeck’s opera Vom Fischer un syner Fru, significantly contributing to the Verdi Renaissance in Germany, particularly at the Dresden Opera. Renowned for his Wagnerian roles, he performed at the Zoppot Festival in 1935–36 and held an engagement at the Berlin Municipal Opera from 1931, debuting as Daland in The Flying Dutchman. He was a member of the Berlin State Opera from 1934 to 1939.

Internationally, he made guest appearances at Covent Garden (1928–31) as a Wagner singer and as Sarastro in The Magic Flute, at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona (1929), and at the State Operas in Vienna (1927), Hamburg, and Munich. In 1930, he joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York, debuting as Daland and remaining there until 1932. He also took part in the American premiere of J. Weinberger’s Schwanda the Bagpiper at the Met in 1931.

At the Bayreuth Festival, he performed roles like Gurnemanz in Parsifal and Marke in Tristan in 1927, later taking on nearly all Wagnerian roles suited to his voice, including Fasolt, Hunding, Pogner in Die Meistersinger, the Landgrave in Tannhäuser, and Titurel in Parsifal, until 1936. His notable guest performances included appearances at the Grand Opéra in Paris (1931), Zurich City Theatre (1934), and the Amsterdam Wagner Society (1936) as King Henry in Lohengrin. He was celebrated as Sarastro and Osmin at the 1935 Glyndebourne Festival.

In 1939, he participated in Germany’s first television broadcast of an opera, performing as Colas in Mozart’s Bastien and Bastienne. Tragically, he passed away suddenly in Stockholm at the age of 44. Among his students was the Swedish bass Sven Nilsson. Known for his beautifully rich bass voice, he was esteemed both for his Wagner interpretations and his portrayals of comedic characters like Osmin, Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro, and Abul Hassan in Cornelius’s The Barber of Bagdad. Additionally, he was celebrated in the concert hall for his performances in oratorio and as a distinguished singer of songs and ballads.

TRACKLIST

1. Aftonsång (Berg) S42189 2530ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
2. Bachanal (Dahl) S42194 2537ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
3. Barnets bön (Althén) S42188 2527ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
4. Bohème (Puccini) Rockarian (Vecchia zimarra) S42183 2518ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
5. Den store, hvide Flok (Grieg) S42186 2524ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
6. Der skreg en fugl (Sinding) S42382 1448at Polyphon, Stockholm 1924-05
7. Du är min ro (Collan) S42192 2533ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
8. En sangers bøn (Reissiger) S42187 2529ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
9. Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky) Aria S42254 2516ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
10. Flyttfåglarna (Larsen) S42239 2522ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
11. Hälsning (Haquinius) S42145 2272ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03
12. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Marcels hugenottsång S42184 2519ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
13. Hur ljuvt det är att komma (Dannström) S42185 2520ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
14. I djupa källarvalvet (Fischer) S42138 2292ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03
15. Jätten (Wennerberg) S42139 2293ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03
16. Jeg er fra Norge, og jeg er god (Selmar) S42280 1440at Polyphon, Stockholm 1924-05
17. Jeg har søgt (Nordraak) S42142 2247ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03
18. Jeg vil ud (Elling) S42381 1446at Polyphon, Stockholm 1924-05
19. Kan det trøste (Kjerulf) S42295 1443at Polyphon, Stockholm 1924-05
20. Kung Frode staar paa Leiregaard (Sinding) S42380 1445at Polyphon, Stockholm 1924-05
21. Lovsång (Beethoven) S42252 2528ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
22. Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nicolai) Som liten pilt (Als Büblein klein) S42141 2271ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03
23. Många drömmar (Sinding) S42294 1442at Polyphon, Stockholm 1924-05
24. Martha (Flotow) Portervisa S42140 2270ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03
25. Morgon (Eklöf) S42137 2291ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03
26. Nu är det natt (Abt) S42190 2531ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
27. Paulus (Mendelssohn) Aria S42255 2517ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
28. Per Svinaherde (trad) S42238 2534ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
29. Ravnen han flyver om aftnen (Sinding) S42379 1444at Polyphon, Stockholm 1924-05
30. Sidste reis (Alnæs) S42281 1441at Polyphon, Stockholm 1924-05
31. Sjörövaren (Gumbert) S42193 2535ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
32. Sølvet (Lammers) S42143 2248ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03
33. Stjärnöga (Stenhammar) S42191 2532ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
34. Trollhättan (Lindblad) S42253 2536ar Polyphon, København 1923-07
35. Vad här vi älska (Althén) S42136 2273ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03
36. Zigenarvisa (Mustalainen) (Merikanto) S42144 2249½ar Polyphon, Stockholm 1923-03