Description

WILHELM HESCH (ELBETEINITZ, BOHEMIA, JULY 3, 1860 – VIENNA, AUSTRIA, JANUARY 4, 1908)

 

 

 

 

His real name was Vilém Heš, and he was the son of a farmer. At a very young age, he joined a traveling Bohemian theater company but later began his serious stage career at the Theater in Brno in 1880, where he appeared as Kezal in B. Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, a role that remained his signature. In 1882, he was brought to the National Theater in Prague by its director Schubert, where he made his debut in Martha. On February 12, 1889, he sang the part of Filip in the premiere of Dvořák’s opera The Jacobin.

He gained wide recognition when he performed the role of Kezal in The Bartered Bride with the Prague Ensemble at the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1892. This success was followed by a guest appearance at the Hamburg Opera in 1893, where he performed as Mephisto in Faust. In 1895, he made a guest appearance at the Vienna Court Opera as Leporello in Don Giovanni and was immediately engaged by the company. He remained one of the most beloved artists of the house until his death. Under the direction of Gustav Mahler at the Vienna Opera, his work reached an extraordinary artistic level. In 1900, he sang the role of Alfonso in the premiere of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, a rediscovery of the work. His portrayal of Leporello was widely admired at the Salzburg Mozart Festival in 1901.

Heš possessed one of the most beautiful bass voices of his generation, notable for its depth and tonal richness, as well as his vivacious agility. He was a brilliant interpreter of buffo roles, with a repertoire that included Leporello in Don Giovanni, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Rocco in Fidelio, Kaspar in Der Freischütz, Marcel in Les Huguenots, and Kezal in The Bartered Bride.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Alessandro Stradella (Flotow) Banditen-Duett (w. Slezak) 44266 917z G&T, Wien 1903
2. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Verleumdungsarie 3-42560 4260L G&T, Wien 1906
3. Carmen (Bizet) Entree des Escamillo 3-42372 6779b G&T, Wien 1905
4. Dalibor (Smetana) Arioso 3-42628 4276L G&T, Wien 1906
5. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Registerarie 3-42371 6778b G&T, Wien 1905
6. Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) Vivat Bacchus (w. Preuss) 2-44088 4261L G&T, Wien 1906
7. Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden 3-42615 4165L G&T, Wien 1906
8. Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky) Ein Jeder kennt die Lieb’ auf Erden 3-42617 4197L G&T, Wien 1906
9. Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky) Ein jeder kennt die Liebe 42849 937x G&T, Wien 1902
10. Faust (Gounod) Ja, das Gold (w. chorus) 2-42630 883z G&T, Wien 1903
11. Faust (Gounod) Serenade des Mephisto 42981 1000x G&T, Wien 1902
12. Fille du Régiment (Donizetti) Abschiedslied (w. Forst, Preuss & chorus) 2-44268 10829u G&T, Wien 1907
13. Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Er fiel, er starb (w. Schmedes & Stehmann) 2-44109 4272L G&T, Wien 1906
14. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Choral 3-42397 6842b G&T, Wien 1905
15. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Piff, paff, puff 3-42527 799r G&T, Wien 1905-09
16. Im Brunnen (Blodek) Peters Gesang 2-42629 848z G&T, Wien 1903
17. Im tiefen Keller (Fischer) 3-42342 6718b G&T, Wien 1905
18. Juive (Halévy) Ach, lass dein Vaterherz (w. Slezak) 2-44321 11799u G&T, Wien 1907
19. Lohengrin (Wagner) Gott grüss’ Euch 3-42301 6843b G&T, Wien 1905
20. Lohengrin (Wagner) Mein Herr und Gott 3-42416 6719b G&T, Wien 1905
21. Lohengrin (Wagner) Zweites Finale (w. Slezak & chorus) 44256 882z G&T, Wien 1903
22. Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nicolai) Als Büblein klein 42884 1018x G&T, Wien 1902
23. Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Nicolai) Du reizend liebes Schätzchen (w. Forst, Kittel & chorus) 2-44269 10830u G&T, Wien 1907
24. Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) Will eisnt das Gräflein 3-42396 6775b G&T, Wien 1905
25. Prodana Nevesta (Smetana) Jeder, der verliebt 2-42500 938x G&T, Wien 1902
26. Prodana Nevesta (Smetana) Wart’ noch ein Weilchen, Marie (w. Forst, Elizza, Kittel, Stehmann & Weidemann) 2-44323 11737½u G&T, Wien 1907
27. Prodana Nevesta (Smetana) Weiss ich doch eine (w. Preuss) 2-44085 4273L G&T, Wien 1906
28. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Gesang des Landgrafen 2-42733 850z G&T, Wien 1903
29. Zauberflöte (Mozart) In diesen heil’gen Hallen 42848 936x G&T, Wien 1902
30. Zauberflöte (Mozart) O Isis und Osiris 3-42616 4192L G&T, Wien 1906