Ludwig Weber
Encyclopedia
Ludwig Weber was an Austrian
bass.
Ludwig Weber was born in Vienna
in 1899. He initially planned to pursue a career as a teacher and artist when he discovered his vocal promise and decided to pursue an opera
career. In 1919 he began studies with Alfred Borrotau, a well-respected teacher, and had his professional debut in 1920 at the Vienna Volksoper
where he sang for a few years in smaller roles.
Possessing one of the largest dark-and-cavernous-type bass voices of the twentieth century, Weber was in equally high demand for villainous roles and noble characters. In the mid 1920s Weber he singing in mid size to leading roles with smaller companies throughout Germany. After a successful appearance at the Munich Wagner Festival of 1931 he joined the Bavarian State Opera
in Munich
in 1933 and soon began to receive invitations to sing abroad. In 1936 he joined the Royal Opera
at Covent Garden
where he sang numerous roles for several years including: Pogner, Gurnemanz, Hunding, Hagen, Daland, King Marke, Osmin, Rocco, and Commendatore. In 1945 he became a member of the Vienna State Opera
, where he sang a wide repertoire for the next two decades. He became particularly associated with the roles of Richard Wagner
. The title role in Boris Godunov
was one of Weber's favorites, and excerpts (sung in German) survive from a performance broadcast on radio. He sang the role in multiple houses including Covent Garden in 1950. He became a regular performer at the Bayreuth Festival
from 1951 to 1962, and he also appeared a number of times at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires
. Weber retired from the stage in 1965, by which time he had already started to teach at the Mozarteum in Salzburg
(1961).
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
bass.
Ludwig Weber was born in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1899. He initially planned to pursue a career as a teacher and artist when he discovered his vocal promise and decided to pursue an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
career. In 1919 he began studies with Alfred Borrotau, a well-respected teacher, and had his professional debut in 1920 at the Vienna Volksoper
Vienna Volksoper
The Vienna Volksoper is a major opera house in Vienna, Austria. It gives about three hundred performances of twenty-five productions during an annual season running from September through June....
where he sang for a few years in smaller roles.
Possessing one of the largest dark-and-cavernous-type bass voices of the twentieth century, Weber was in equally high demand for villainous roles and noble characters. In the mid 1920s Weber he singing in mid size to leading roles with smaller companies throughout Germany. After a successful appearance at the Munich Wagner Festival of 1931 he joined the Bavarian State Opera
Bavarian State Opera
The Bavarian State Opera is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:The opera company which was founded under Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy has been in existence since 1653...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in 1933 and soon began to receive invitations to sing abroad. In 1936 he joined the Royal Opera
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
at Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
where he sang numerous roles for several years including: Pogner, Gurnemanz, Hunding, Hagen, Daland, King Marke, Osmin, Rocco, and Commendatore. In 1945 he became a member of the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
, where he sang a wide repertoire for the next two decades. He became particularly associated with the roles 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...
. The title role in Boris Godunov
Boris Godunov (opera)
Boris Godunov is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky . The work was composed between 1868 and 1873 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is Mussorgsky's only completed opera and is considered his masterpiece. Its subjects are the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who reigned as Tsar during the Time of Troubles,...
was one of Weber's favorites, and excerpts (sung in German) survive from a performance broadcast on radio. He sang the role in multiple houses including Covent Garden in 1950. He became a regular performer at the Bayreuth Festival
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
from 1951 to 1962, and he also appeared a number of times at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. Weber retired from the stage in 1965, by which time he had already started to teach at the Mozarteum in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
(1961).
Selected discography
- Boris GodunovBoris Godunov (opera)Boris Godunov is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky . The work was composed between 1868 and 1873 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is Mussorgsky's only completed opera and is considered his masterpiece. Its subjects are the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who reigned as Tsar during the Time of Troubles,...
: excerpts only with Carl Leonhardt and the Reichssenders Orchestra Stuttgart, singing the title role - Der fliegende HolländerThe Flying Dutchman (opera)Der fliegende Holländer is an opera, with music and libretto by Richard Wagner.Wagner claimed in his 1870 autobiography Mein Leben that he had been inspired to write "The Flying Dutchman" following a stormy sea crossing he made from Riga to London in July and August 1839, but in his 1843...
: with Hans KnappertsbuschHans KnappertsbuschHans Knappertsbusch was a German conductor, best known for his performances of the music of Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner and Richard Strauss....
(1955) singing the role of Daland - GötterdämmerungGötterdämmerungis the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen...
: excerpts only with Wilhelm FurtwänglerWilhelm FurtwänglerWilhelm Furtwängler was a German conductor and composer. He is widely considered to have been one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. By the 1930s he had built a reputation as one of the leading conductors in Europe, and he was the leading conductor who remained...
(1937) singing the role of Hagen - Götterdammerung: with Rudolf MoraltRudolf MoraltRudolf Moralt was a German conductor, particularly associated with Mozart and the German repertory....
(1949) singing the role of Hagen - Götterdammerung: with Hans Knappertsbusch (1951) singing the role of Hagen
- The Magic FluteThe Magic FluteThe Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
: with Herbert von KarajanHerbert von KarajanHerbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...
(1950) singing the role of Sarastro - Die Meistersinger von NürnbergDie Meistersinger von NürnbergDie Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
: with Hans RosbaudHans RosbaudHans Rosbaud , was an Austrian conductor, particularly associated with the music of the twentieth century....
(Milan, 1955) singing the role of Pogner the goldsmith - Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: with Hans Knappertsbusch (1960) singing the role of Fritz Kothner the baker
- ParsifalParsifalParsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
: with Hans Knappertsbusch (1951) singing the role of Guernemanz - Parsifal: with Clemens KraussClemens KraussClemens Heinrich Krauss was an Austrian conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss.-Biography:...
(1953) singing the role of Guernemanz - Das RheingoldDas Rheingoldis the first of the four operas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen . It was originally written as an introduction to the tripartite Ring, but the cycle is now generally regarded as consisting of four individual operas.Das Rheingold received its premiere at the National Theatre...
: with Joseph KeilberthJoseph KeilberthJoseph Keilberth was a German conductor who specialized in opera.He started his career in the State Theatre of his native city, Karlsruhe. In 1940 he became director of the German Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague. Near the end of World War II he became principal conductor of the Dresden...
(1955) singing the role of Fasolt - Der Ring des NibelungenDer Ring des NibelungenDer Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
: with Wilhelm Furtwängler (1950) singing the roles of Fasolt, Hunding, Fafner and Hagen - Der RosenkavalierDer RosenkavalierDer Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
: with Erich KleiberErich KleiberErich Kleiber was an Austrian conductor.- Biography :Born in Vienna, Kleiber studied in Prague...
(1954) singing the role of Baron Ochs - Tristan und IsoldeTristan und IsoldeTristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
: with Herbert von Karajan (1952) singing the role of King Mark