Fritz Windgassen
Encyclopedia
Fritz Windgassen was a German
Heldentenor and teacher.
Windgassen was born in Lennep, near Remscheid
. Following the wishes of his upstanding middle-class parents, he took up a respectable career in the German navy. Only after Prince Heinrich of Prussia
praised his singing ability did he dare embark on a singing career. After training in the Bernuth Conservatoire in Hamburg
, he made his début in 1909 in Harburg
. Further engagements took him to Bremen
, Hamburg and the Court Theatre in Kassel
, where he met the coloratura soprano Vali von der Osten
, whom he married in 1916. From 1923 to 1945, he was a member of the Stuttgart National Opera
. Beginning in 1919 he increasingly specialised in Heldentenor roles and became a renowned interpreter of Richard Wagner
.
He was also much in demand as a concert and Lied
er performer. He gave his farewell concert in Stuttgart in 1949, featuring works by Richard Strauss
, Gustav Mahler
, and Hugo Wolf
among others; his son, Wolfgang Windgassen
, later a celebrated Heldentenor in his own right, also took part.
After his retirement from the stage, Windgassen taught at the Stuttgart College of Music
. Among his pupils was the bass Gottlob Frick
. Windgassen died in Murnau
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Heldentenor and teacher.
Windgassen was born in Lennep, near Remscheid
Remscheid
Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on south side of the Ruhr area....
. Following the wishes of his upstanding middle-class parents, he took up a respectable career in the German navy. Only after Prince Heinrich of Prussia
Prince Heinrich of Prussia
Prince Henry of Prussia was a younger brother of German Emperor William II and a Prince of Prussia...
praised his singing ability did he dare embark on a singing career. After training in the Bernuth Conservatoire in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, he made his début in 1909 in Harburg
Harburg (quarter)
General-External links:...
. Further engagements took him to Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Hamburg and the Court Theatre in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, where he met the coloratura soprano Vali von der Osten
Vali von der Osten
Vali von der Osten was a German soprano. She was the daughter of actor Emil von der Osten and Rosa von der Osten-Hildebrandt ....
, whom he married in 1916. From 1923 to 1945, he was a member of the Stuttgart National Opera
Staatstheater Stuttgart
The Staatstheater Stuttgart ' is an opera house in Stuttgart, Germany. It is also known locally as the Grosses Haus, having been the larger of two theatres of the former Königliche Hoftheater....
. Beginning in 1919 he increasingly specialised in Heldentenor roles and became a renowned interpreter of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
.
He was also much in demand as a concert and Lied
Lied
is a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...
er performer. He gave his farewell concert in Stuttgart in 1949, featuring works by Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
, Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
, and Hugo Wolf
Hugo Wolf
Hugo Wolf was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs, or lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Romantic music, somewhat related to that of the Second Viennese School in concision but utterly unrelated in...
among others; his son, Wolfgang Windgassen
Wolfgang Windgassen
Wolfgang Windgassen was a tenor internationally known for his performances in Wagner operas.-Life and career:...
, later a celebrated Heldentenor in his own right, also took part.
After his retirement from the stage, Windgassen taught at the Stuttgart College of Music
State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart
The State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart is a professional school for musicians and performing artists in Stuttgart, Germany...
. Among his pupils was the bass Gottlob Frick
Gottlob Frick
Gottlob Frick was a German bass who sang in opera. He was known for his wide repertory including Wagner and Mozart roles, as well as those of Nicolai and Lortzing.-Career:...
. Windgassen died in Murnau
Murnau
Murnau may refer to:Place names:* Murnau am Staffelsee, a town in Bavaria, Germany** Oflag VII-A Murnau, A German WW 2 POW camp located in the Bavarian town "Murnau am Staffelsee"- Other :...
.