Hermin Esser

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hermin Esser (born April 1, 1928 in Rheydt ; † April 17, 2009 in Wiesbaden ) was a German opera singer ( tenor ).

Life

Despite his origins from a musical parental home, it was not foreseeable that he would one day be one of the internationally known Wagner singers. He started out as a graphic designer, then began studying architecture before finally having his voice trained by Franziska Martienssen-Lohmann at the Robert Schumann Conservatory in Düsseldorf .

The artist made his debut in 1954 at the Krefeld City Theater . Via Gelsenkirchen he came to the Komische Oper Berlin in 1957 as a lyric tenor , where he worked with Walter Felsenstein until 1961 .

When the wall was being built, he said goodbye to Berlin and went to the Wiesbaden State Theater , where he quickly became a crowd favorite. Hermin Esser has appeared in numerous operas , from the Magic Flute to Aida and La Bohème to Rosenkavalier , but also in works by Janáček (Jenůfa, Katja Kabanowa and Aus einer Totenhaus) and Alban Berg (Wozzeck). The most modern work in which Esser was involved is Lear by Aribert Reimann. In Wiesbaden he worked on all Wagner roles in his field and from there accepted invitations to the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf (1964) and the Essen Opera House .

Soloist at the Bayreuth Festival

Autograph Hermin Esser 1967

In 1966 the artist first appeared at the Bayreuth Festival as Froh im Rheingold at the invitation of Wieland Wagner . In the following years he sang a number of Wagner roles there, such as Walther von der Vogelweide in Tannhäuser in 1967 and the title role in Lohengrin in the union performance . In 1967–1970 he sang David and 1975 Walther von Stolzing in the Meistersinger von Nürnberg , 1970–71 and again in 1979 Erik in the Flying Dutchman , 1972–74 and 1977 Tannhauser in the opera of the same name, 1966–69 Froh, 1971–72 and 1975 Siegmund in der Walküre , 1970–75 the Loge im Rheingold, 1975 and again in 1981 Tristan , where he stood in for the sick René Kollo at very short notice. Although the mood didn't look like it at first (the audience was ready for Kollo), the evening was a huge success. The tenor's close relationship with the Bayreuth Wagner Festival was to last 14 years.

Further stations in his career

1972 guested Hermin Esser at the Teatro Regio in Turin , in 1973 he sang at the Opera of Monte Carlo Tristan, 1973-74 at the Opera of Rome to Parsifal , 1973 at the Sadler's Wells Opera London Tristan, from 1973 to 1977 at the Wiener Staatsoper among others the Tristan and Parsifal, 1972 at the Grand Opéra Paris the Tristan.

In 1988 he sang at the State Opera in Dresden as Herod in Salome by Richard Strauss . He has also made guest appearances at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels , at the Opéra National de Lyon , in Bordeaux and Strasbourg , at the State Operas of Stuttgart , Munich and Hamburg , at the Deutsche Oper Berlin , in Moscow , at the National Operas in Budapest , Warsaw and Zagreb , in Stockholm and Chicago (as Siegfried alongside Birgit Nilsson ), as well as in Geneva and Zurich . He took part in the Salzburg Easter Festival under Karajan . The last appearances were in Berlin, at the same time at the Theater des Westens , the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Komische Oper Berlin. Hermin Esser said goodbye in Hamburg and Dresden. Despite his many guest tours, the artist kept returning to the Wiesbaden theater.

In addition to the opera, he devoted himself to the art song , with numerous recitals at home and abroad. He studied among other things the “Dichterliebe” by Robert Schumann, the “Winterreise” by Franz Schubert and numerous other songs by Hugo Wolf, Brahms, Schubert and others. a. with his daughter Eva. On his 70th birthday, he gave a concert with songs and opera arias in Wiesbaden. Esser died on April 17, 2009 after a long and serious illness.

Roles (selection)

Discography

  • Glad in Rheingold under Karl Böhm , Philips 1966
  • Lodge in Rheingold , FKM 1970
  • Erik in the Flying Dutchman , DGG
  • Calaf in Turandot (cross section), Pergola and Philips
  • Title role in Othello (cross section), Eterna
  • Emperor in The Woman Without a Shadow , Mondo Musica
  • Title role in Tristan und Isolde , under Kurt Masur , Mondo Musica
  • David in the Mastersingers of Nuremberg under Karl Böhm , Orfeo and GM 1968
  • Glad in Rheingold under Herbert von Karajan , DGG-DVD
  • Siegfried in the opera of the same name, under Hans Wallat
  • Siegmund in Die Walküre together with Birgit Nilsson
  • Siegfried in Götterdämmerung , a. a. with Helga Dernesch , RP 090-4
  • Tristan in Tristan and Isolde , RP 109-3
  • Tristan in Tristan and Isolde , with Catarina Ligendza ,
  • Title role in Tannhäuser , Bayreuth 1974, a. a. with Gwyneth Jones
  • Title role in Lohengrin , Bayreuth 1967, a. a. with Astrid Varnay
  • Aegisth in Elektra , Opera Depot 10945-2
  • Cassio in Otello , under Václav Neumann , Walhall Eternity Series
  • Title role in Otello , with Mirella Freni
  • Narraboth in Salome , together with Martha Mödl , Anja Silja , Franz Mazura , 1967, House of Opera, CD 10954
  • Herodes in Salome , recording from the Semperoper 1988, German Broadcasting Archive, ZI no. 76924
  • Henry in Il Tabarro , PH12064 Profile Media
  • Title role in Sly

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Obituary notice  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.wiesbadener-tagblatt.de  
personal data
SURNAME Eater, Hermin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German opera singer (tenor)
DATE OF BIRTH April 1, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Rheydt
DATE OF DEATH April 17, 2009
Place of death Wiesbaden