Ferdinand Franz Die Walküre Leb wohl, du kûhnes, herrliches kind Wilhem Furtwängler

Ferdinand Franz - Die Walküre - Leb wohl, du kûhnes, herrliches kind - Wilhem Furtwängler - enregistré en septembre - octobre 1954 Ferdinand Frantz (born February 8, 1906, Kassel - May 26, 1959, Munich), was a German operatic bass-baritone. He was well known in his time for his performances in the operas of Richard Wagner. Fond of music as a boy, he joined a choral society in Kassel and at 16 was chosen to take a small solo part.[1] Four years of vocal training ensued. Frantz's first role was in the Kassel Staatstheater in 1927, playing Hermann Ortel in a production of Wagner's Die Meistersinger. He sang at the Halle Opera House from 1930–32, then in Chemnitz from 1932–1937, and then in Hamburg with the Hamburg State Opera from 1937-43.[1] In 1943, he began singing with the Munich State Opera, where he would sing until the year of his death. Frantz guested at the Vienna Staatsoper, Semper Oper in Dresden, at La Scala, and Covent Garden. He debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1949, portraying Wotan in Wagner's Die Walküre. This role caused some consternation among operagoers: Helen Traubel was to appear as Brünnhilde opposite Frantz's Wotan, and when Traubel could not perform, Frantz's wife, soprano Helena Braun, stepped into the role. This novelty of a married couple portraying a father and daughter was covered on the front page of New York newspapers.[2] He began as a low bass and moved up to bass-baritone. He was best known as Wotan/Wanderer and Hans Sachs; recordings are available with him in these roles from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, including two complete Meistersingers as Sachs magisterially sung by Frantz and conducted by Rudolf Kempe. "Opera" called his Sachs "one of the most impressive of our day".[1] He also left records as Amfortas, Gurnemanz, Friedrich von Telramund, Iago (in German translation), Don Pizarro and Jokanaan, and as bass soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony. An anthology of operatic arias and monologues is also available. Ferdinand Frantz (né le 8 février 1906 à Cassel - mort le 25 mai 1959 à Munich) était un chanteur d'opéra allemand (baryton-basse, originellement basse Il se forma en partie en autodidacte et débuta en 1927 à Cassel, chanta à l'opéra de Halle de 1930 à 1932, à celui Chemnitz de 1932 à 1937, à l'opéra d'État de Hambourg de 1937 à 1943, avant tout des parties de basse (Rocco, le Roi Marke...). À partir de 1943 et jusqu'à sa mort il chanta à l'opéra d'État de Munich, se produisant à partir de 1949 en chanteur invité sur les plus grandes scènes lyriques, dont le Metropolitan Opera, la Scala et Covent Garden. Le mélomane moderne le connaît surtout à travers les enregistrements de Wilhelm Furtwängler du Ring (1953) et de La Walkyrie (1954), ainsi que par les Maîtres Chanteurs dirigés par Rudolf Kempe (1957). En raison de sa voix très endurante et capable des nuances les plus subtiles, Ferdinand Frantz était considéré comme l'un des meilleurs Wotan et Hans Sachs de son temps. Au cours des années 1950 cependant, son organe pourtant puissant commençait à montrer des signes d'usure de plus en plus manifestes. Source : Wikipedia