Hermann Weil (Baritone) (Mühlburg 1876 – New York 1949)

First he wanted to become an elementary school teacher, but then studied music science, theory and directing at the conservatoire of Karlsruhe under Felix Mottl; he received his vocal education by Adolf  Dippel in Frankfurt a. M. In 1901 he made his debut at the Municipal Theatre of Freiburg in the part of Wolfram in Wagner’s ‘’Tannhäuser’’. From Freiburg he joined in 1904 to the Stuttgart Court Opera. Here he performed with great success till 1933. He sang in Stuttgart among other things in the premiere of the opera ‘’Princess Brambilla’’ of Walter Braunfels (25. 3. 1909) and in the premières of the operas ‘’Salome’’ (1905 as Jochanaan) and ‘’Elektra’’ (as an Orest) of Richard Strauss and "Der arme Heinrich"  of Hans Pitzner. In 1909 he made guest appearances inAmsterdam appearing as Sebastiano in  "Tiefland" of E. d'Albert, and as Kurwenal in ‘’'Tristan und Isolde’’ (1911). In the 1912-14 seasons he sang at the Boston Opera House. Since 1911 he appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1913 he took over at the Metropolitan Opera in the première of the Faninal’s "Rosenkavaliers". After the USA had entered into the First World War, he was interned from 1917-19 in America as a German. In 1919 he sang as a memeber of opera troupe put together from German singers at the Lexington Theatre in New York. At the Bayreuth Festival he was a celebrated interpreter of Wagner's operas; here in the season 1911-12 he appeared in ‘’Parsifal’’, "Meistersingern", "Götterdämmerung" and from 1924 to 1925 the part of Hans Sachs in "Meistersingern". In the 1920-23 seasons he was active at the Vienna State Opera. From 1923 to 1924 with the German Opera Company he went to sing in USA. In 1939 he forced to leave Germany and then lived in New York as a singing teacher. His stage repertoire contained more than hundred roles and culminated in the Wagner's parts of Hans Sachs and the Kurwenal in ‘’Tristan und Isolde’’.

Chronology of some appearances

1901 Freiburg Municipal Theatre Tannhäuser (Wolfram)

1904-1933 Stuttgart Court Opera

1909 Amsterdam Opera House

1911 Amsterdam Opera House

1912-1914 Boston Opera House

1911 New York Metropolitan Opera

1919 New York Lexington Theatre

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone, Stuttgart 1908

Africaine (Meyerbeer): Dir, o Königin 4-42166 5177r

Odeon, Berlin 1910?

Traviata (Verdi): Hat dein heimatliches Land 99551 xB4946

Carmen (Bizet): Euren Toast 99552 xB4947

Faust (Gounod): Da ich nun verlassen soll 99553 xB4952

Tannhäuser (Wagner): Erbarm' dich mein with Rains, Vogelstrom, Kirchhoff, Schoeffel, Neudahm, Armster and chorus 80053 xxB4938

Traviata (Verdi): Hin ist die Hoffnung with Bosetti 99653 xB5141

Traviata (Verdi): Weine, o weine, armes Kind with Bosetti 99654 xB5142

Traviata (Verdi): Fräulein Valery...Gott schenkte... with  Bosetti 76097 xxB5143

Traviata (Verdi): Wenn mit der Zeit with Bosetti 76098 xxB5144

Rigoletto (Verdi): Rede! Sind wir allein? with Bosetti 76099 xxB5153

Rigoletto (Verdi): Hab' ich erst vollbracht with Bosetti 76127 xxB5154

Gramophone, Stuttgart 1911-09-23

Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Wie duftet doch der Flieder 042325 457ak

Faust (Gounod): Valentins Gebet 042326 3al

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Prolog 042359 4al

Columbia, New York 1916/1917

Die beiden Grenadiere (Schumann) A5864 59430

Vox, Berlin 1922?

Aus der Jugendzeit (Radecke) 3078

Im Walde (Wallbach) 3079

Tannhäuser (Wagner): Als du in kühnem Sange 03082

Tannhäuser (Wagner): Wohl wußt' ich hier sie im Gebet zu finden 03082