THOMAS JOHANNES
(THOM) DENIJS (SCHAGEN, 3 JANUARY 1877 – THE HAGUE, 14 NOVEMBER 1935)
He was a student of Cornélie van Zanten, Daniel De Lange, V. Zweers,
and J.B. de Pauw, and, not least, of Johannes Messchaert in Amsterdam. He also
studied in Berlin and in Paris with Jules Algiers. He made his debut with a
Dutch opera company in 1901 as Papageno in The Magic Flute, later marrying the
Papagena from that production, the soprano Emmy Denijs-Kruyt.
His operatic career was brief; in the Netherlands he sang roles such
as Masetto in Don Giovanni and Wolfram in Tannhäuser, but he soon decided to
pursue a career primarily as a concert and, above all, oratorio singer. His
interpretations of the great works of Bach and Handel were considered
exemplary. His greatest successes came with the Concertgebouw Orchestra
Amsterdam under Willem Mengelberg. Every year until 1935, he sang Bach's St.
Matthew Passion with this ensemble, alongside soloists such as Aaltje
Noordewier-Reddingius, Pauline de Haan-Manifarges, and Jacques Urlus, and later
with Mia Peltenburg, Ilona Durigo, and Karl Erb.
From 1908 to 1914, he lived in Germany, primarily in Berlin, where he
occasionally returned to the operatic stage (notably again as Wolfram in Tannhäuser).
There, he also performed frequently in a male quartet formed by the renowned
bass Paul Knüpfer.
After briefly teaching at the Rotterdam Conservatory in 1903, he began
teaching in The Hague in 1914. He performed several times in London concert halls
to great acclaim, and in 1926, he toured North America with similar success. In
1927, he premiered the song cycle Lebendig begraben (Buried Alive) by Othmar
Schoeck in Winterthur.
In the Netherlands, he was widely regarded as the legitimate successor
to the great Johannes Messchaert. He made numerous recordings for Berliner
Records (1900), Zonophone, and HMV, including many opera arias and Schumann’s
Dichterliebe, accompanied by his wife, an outstanding pianist. Later, he made
electrical recordings for HMV, and Dutch children's songs were also released on
the small German label Mignon.
TRACKLIST
Dichterliebe (Schumann): 1) Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, 2) Aus meinen
Tränen spriessen, 3) Die Rose, die Lilie, 4) Wenn ich in deine Augen seh' D720
(2-092012) Cc2781-2 HMV, London 1923-04-05
Dichterliebe (Schumann): 5) Ich will meine Seele tauchen, 6) Im Rhein,
im heiligen Strome, 7) Ich grolle nicht D720 (2-092013) Cc2782-1 HMV, London
1923-04-05
Dichterliebe (Schumann): 8) Und wüssten's die Blumen, 9) Das ist ein
Flöten und Geigen, 10) Hör ich das Liedchen klingen D721 (2-092014) Cc2783-2 HMV,
London 1923-04-05
Dichterliebe (Schumann): 11) Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen, 12) Am
leuchtenden Sommermorgen, 13) Ich hab' im Traum geweinet D721 (2-092015) Cc2784-2
HMV, London 1923-04-05
Dichterliebe (Schumann): 14) Allnächtlich im Traume, 15) Aus alten
Märchen winkt es D722 (2-092016) Cc2785-2 HMV, London 1923-04-05
Aus dem Kirchhof (Brahms) FC1 (7-92087) Bb12390-2 HMV, London
1928-01-20
Bethlehem (Gounod) C4816 (2-092009) Cc289-1 HMVZonophone, London
1921-06-21
Dichterliebe (Schumann) 1) Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, 2) Aus meinen
Tränen spriessen, 3) Die Rose, die Lilie, 4) Wenn ich in deine Augen seh' FD6
(2-092022) Cc12377-1 HMV, London 1928-01-18
Jeruzalem (Adams) C4831 (2-092018) Ck1578-2 HMV, den Haag 1924-08
O heilige Nacht (Adam) (w. chorus) C4816 (2-092008) Cc292-2
HMVZonophone, London 1921-06-21
Van eene koningsvrouwe (Spoel) C4831 (2-092019) Ck1584-2 HMV, den Haag
1924-08
Verborgenheit (Wolf) FC1 (7-92086) Bb12389-1 HMV, London 1928-01-20
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