Gerhard Hüsch

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Gerhard Hüsch (born February 2, 1901 in Hanover ; † November 23, 1984 in Munich ) was a German opera singer (lyrical baritone).

Life

Between 1925 and 1942, Hüsch sang regularly at German, British and Italian opera houses. From 1930 the focus of his activity was in Berlin. Hüsch is best remembered for his portrayal of Papageno in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte , for example on the first complete recording of this popular opera with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Thomas Beecham in 1937/38. Hüsch's repertoire included most of the standard parts for light baritone, including works by Wagner (he appeared at the Bayreuth Festival , especially as Wolfram in Tannhäuser ) and Richard Strauss (he sang at the premiere of Strauss' Intermezzo ). Hüsch impressed less with a particularly large voice volume than with his clear diction and elegant voice guidance.

These qualities are particularly evident on his song recordings from the pre-war period. Hüsch recorded the first largely unabridged versions of the great song cycles Winterreise and Die Schöne Müllerin by Franz Schubert , as well as Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte . His records with songs by Hugo Wolf presented the work of this hitherto relatively unknown composer to a larger audience for the first time. In addition, Hüsch recorded numerous songs by Hans Pfitzner , for which he himself took over the accompaniment on the piano. The still unknown Finnish composer Yrjö Kilpinen found a steadfast advocate in Hüsch. Hüsch also took part in oratorios . His portrayal of Jesus in a heavily shortened version of Bach's St. Matthew Passion due to the war is remarkable .

Due to his political naivete during the National Socialist era and his personal closeness to leading National Socialists (such as Rosalind, Baldur von Schirach's sister ), Hüsch fell out of favor with the victorious powers after the end of the war. In the following years he hardly took part in concerts or operas, but concentrated on teaching. As a professor at the Munich University of Music , he counted a. a. the British tenor Nigel Rogers and the German choir director Clytus Gottwald among his students. Hüsch's master classes took place not only in Europe, but also in Japan. Most of his numerous recordings are now also available on CD. His records from 1934 are also available: Das Hakenkreuz (TELEFUNKEN A1381 mx 19038) and Deutschland erwache (TELEFUNKEN A1381, mx 19039) with members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (see OPAL CD The Rise of Fascism ).

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personal data
SURNAME Hüsch, Gerhard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German opera singer (lyric baritone)
DATE OF BIRTH February 2, 1901
PLACE OF BIRTH Hanover
DATE OF DEATH November 23, 1984
Place of death Munich