WILLI
DOMGRAF-FASSBAENDER (AACHEN, 19 FEBRUARY 1897 – NUREMBERG, 13 FEBRUARY 1978)
He first studied piano and musicology with Felix Knubben in Aachen,
then singing with Jacques Stückgold and Paul Bruns in Berlin, and finally with
Giuseppe Borgatti in Milan. He began his career as a concert and oratorio
singer. The director of the Aachen City Theater, Erich Orthmann, who had heard
him perform at a concert in Aachen Cathedral, persuaded him to pursue a stage
career. He made his operatic debut in 1922 at the Aachen City Theater as the
Count in The Marriage of Figaro.
He sang at the Deutsches Opernhaus in Berlin from 1923 to 1925, then
served as principal lyric baritone at the Düsseldorf Opera House from 1925 to
1927, and at the Stuttgart State Opera from 1927 to 1930. At Stuttgart, he took
part in the premiere of Egon Wellesz’s opera Scherz, List und Rache on March 1, 1928. In 1930, he joined the
Berlin State Opera, where he enjoyed great success until 1946.
In Düsseldorf in 1925, he participated in the first complete stage
performance of Gian Francesco Malipiero’s trilogy L'Orfeide, and in 1943, at the Berlin State Opera, he sang in
the premiere of Othmar Schoeck’s opera Schloß
Dürande.
He made guest appearances at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona (1929), in
Amsterdam (1931), in Copenhagen (1933 and 1938, in concert), at the
Stadttheater in Basel (1933), at the Vienna State Opera (1932–1939, and again
in 1955), and at the Stuttgart State Opera.
In 1931, he appeared as Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff and in Janáček’s From
the House of the Dead at the Kroll Opera in Berlin. He also sang the
title role in The Marriage of Figaro
in the ensemble’s final performance that same year.
His Mozart interpretations were particularly admired at the
Glyndebourne Festival from 1934 to 1937. In the opening performance of the 1934
season, he sang the title role in The
Marriage of Figaro, a role he repeated in subsequent years, alongside
Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. At
the Salzburg Festival in 1937, he appeared as Papageno in The Magic Flute.
Among his major stage roles were Don Giovanni, Wolfram in Tannhäuser, Amfortas in Parsifal, Rigoletto, Count di Luna in
Il trovatore, Renato in Un ballo in maschera, Escamillo in Carmen, Count Liebenau in Lortzing’s Der Waffenschmied, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Marcello in La Bohème, Harlekin in Richard
Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos,
Scarpia in Tosca, Orest in Elektra, and even Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Beginning in 1932, he also gained popularity as a film actor. He
appeared in the sound films Invitation
to the Dance (as Carl Maria von Weber), The Bartered Bride, and The
Marriage of Figaro (1948, as Count Almaviva), among others.
After World War II, he gave guest performances in Hanover and Munich
and appeared regularly at the Vienna State Opera from 1951 to 1963. From 1946,
he served as chief director of the Nuremberg City Theater, where he directed,
among other productions, the 1955 premiere of Friedrich Schröder’s operetta Das Bad auf der Tenne, and
occasionally returned to the stage as a singer. As late as 1959, he took part
in the premiere of Carl Orff’s opera Oedipus
der Tyrann at the Stuttgart State Opera.
Beginning in 1954, he was also a professor at the Nuremberg
Conservatory.
He was married to the film actress Sabine Peters (1913–1982), and
their daughter Brigitte Fassbaender (born 1939) became an internationally
acclaimed contralto.
His vocal artistry was repeatedly praised for its musicality and
stylistic precision.
Recordings: Polydor (short version of Die Fledermaus), HMV (including complete recordings of The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte from Glyndebourne),
Artiphon, Parlophon, Acanta, Jecklin Disco (radio recording of Schloß Dürande by O. Schoeck, 1941),
and Cetra-Opera Live (as Papageno in The
Magic Flute, 1937).
TRACKLIST
Alle Tage ist kein Sonntag (Clewing) Electrola E.G. 2437
60-1784
Am Meer (Schubert) P. 9223-I 2-20384 Parlophon
Bajazzo (Leoncavallo) Heute fällt mein Geschick, I. Teil (w. Hüni-Mihacsek) Grammophon J 25030 1590 BM
I
Bajazzo (Leoncavallo) Heute fällt mein Geschick, II.
Teil (w. Hüni-Mihacsek) Grammophon J
25031 1591 BM I
Bajazzo (Leoncavallo) Warum denn hielt'st du mich sehnend
umfangen (w. Hüni-Mihacsek) Grammophon B 25195
1638 BM I
Barbier von Sevilla (Rossini) Kavatine (Ich bin das Faktotum)
Grammophon B 22447 596 Bi III
Boheme (Puccini) SchlussSzene (w. Oehme-Förster, Ludwig &
Berger) Electrola E.H. 813
Carmen (Bizet) Diese Menge im Gedränge Grammophon B 25318
1639 BM I
Der Musikant (Wolf) Electrola E.G. 3385
Der Zigeunerbaron (Johann Strauss II) Potpourri 12
Operetten-Ensemble (w. Eisinger & Wittrisch) Electrola EH 725 (62-940,1), 2D 519-1, 2D 520-2
Die alten Straßen noch (Redl) Electrola E.G. 2437 60-1785
Don Juan (Mozart) Horch auf den Klang der Zither Electrola
E.G. 2906 60-2440
Don Juan (Mozart) Mein Herz was soll dein Zagen Terzett aus
Don Juan; 2. Akt (w. Friedrich & Fuchs) Electrola 62-1067 E 2 D 1784 1
Don Juan (Mozart) Reich mir die Hand, mein Leben (w. Hüni-Mihacsek)
Grammophon 62669
Don Pasquale (Donizetti) I. Teil Gut, ja ich tu's Duett Norina und Malatesta; 1. Akt (w.
Schöne) Electrola 32-2120 2 D 272 II
Don Pasquale; II. Teil (Donizetti) Gut, ja ich tu's Duett Norina und Malatesta; 1. Akt (w.
Schöne) Electrola 32-2121 2 D 273 I
Ein Tag ohne dich from movie 8 Mädels im Boot (Rebner) E. G.
2621 60-2047 HMV
Fidelio (Beethoven) Er sterbe doch (w. Gottlieb, Ludwig &
Grossmann) Electrola D.B. 4417
Fidelio (Beethoven) Mir ist so wunderbar (w. Berger, Gottlieb
& Marcel Wittrisch) Electrola D.B. 4417
Figaros Hochzeit (Mozart) Ach, öffnet eure augen, blinde
betörte Männer Electrola E.G. 2929
Figaros Hochzeit (Mozart) Dort vergiß leises Fleh'n süßes
Kosen Electrola E.G. 2929
Figaros Hochzeit (Mozart) So lang' hab' ich geschmachtet (w.
Hüni-Mihacsek) Grammophon B 25196 1636 BM I
Figaros Hochzeit (Mozart) Will der Herr Graf Electrola E.G.
2906 60-2441
Grün ist die Heide (Blume) Auf der Lüneburger Heide His Master's
Voice BA 317 60-2142
Heimweh (Wolf) Electrola E.G. 2939
In bacharach am rhein (Rheinlied) (Stolz) His Master's Voice
E.G.2827 OD1586
Iphigenie auf Tauris (Gluck) Die Ruhe kehrte mir wieder Grammophon
24323-B 1045 BH III
Iphigenie auf Tauris (Gluck) Ihr, die ihr mich verfolgt Grammophon
24323-A 1044 BH III
Komm, trink und lach' am rhein (In Mainz am schönen Rhein)
(Raymond) His Master's Voice E.G.2827 OD1585
Lohengrin (Wagner) Lohengrins Ankunft pt 1 (w. Wittrisch
& Heidersbach) Electrola D.B. 4400 62-4700
Lohengrin (Wagner) Lohengrins Ankunft pt 2 (w. Wittrisch
& Heidersbach) Electrola D.B. 4400 62-4701
Mahnung (Hermann) Electrola E.G. 2939
Maskenball (Verdi) Ja
du warst's Grammophon B 22446 515 bm I
Maskenball (Verdi) Für dein Glück und für dein Leben
Electrola E.G. 2341
Mignon (Thomas) Déjà les hirondelles... Légères hirondelles
(w. Hüni-Mihacsek) 66862 B 25199 Grammophon
Morgen (Strauss) Electrola E.G. 3385
Rigoletto (Verdi) Ach Gott, nur für mich erfleht ich von dir
(w. Debicka) Grammophon B 25217 752 12 Bi I
Rigoletto (Verdi) Hab' ich erst vollbracht (w. Berger,
Grossmann & Beck) Electrola 62-4729 E-2 D 1305 1
Rigoletto (Verdi) Holdes Mädchen, sieh mein Leiden (w.
Berger, Klose & Wittrisch) Electrola 62-4728 2 D 1304 II
Rigoletto (Verdi) Ich bin strafbar (w. Debicka) Grammophon B
25219 753 12 Bi I
Rigoletto (Verdi) Sprich nie mit einem Armen (w. Debicka)
Grammophon B 25218 750 Bi I
Rigoletto (Verdi) Wenn ich an Festestagen (w. Debicka) Grammophon
B 25216 751 12 Bi I
Tannhäuser (Wagner) Blick' ich umher in diesem edlen Kreise
Brillant Sonderklasse 7478
Tannhäuser (Wagner) Lied an den Abendstern Electrola E.H. 724
62-939
Tannhäuser (Wagner) O du mein holder Abendstern Brillant Sonderklasse
7479
Tannhäuser (Wagner) Wohl wußt' ich, hier sie im Gebet zu
finden (w. Heidersbach) Electrola E.H. 724 62-938
Terzett aus Hoffmanns Erzählungen (Offenbach) Antonia!
Himmel! So höre (w. Teschemacher & Klose) Electrola 62-4721 E-2 D 922 3
Traviata (Verdi) Hat dein ehimatliches Land Electrola E.G.
2341
Troubadour (Verdi) Duett Leonore-Luna (w. Teschemacher)
Electrola D.A. 4403
Verschwiegene Liebe (Hugo Wolf) E. G. 3243 ORA 212 Electrola
Wenn der Birnbaum blüht (Blume) His Master's Voice BA 317
60-2143
Wildschütz (Lortzing) Kann es im Erdenleben... Quartett a. d.
3. Akt (w. Friedrich, Klose & Ludwig) Electrola 62-1066 E 2 D 1783 1
Zauberflöte (Mozart) Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen (w. Hüni-Mihacse)
Grammophon 62669
Zauberflöte (Mozart) Das klinget so herrlich (w.
Hüni-Mihacsek & Witting) Grammophon B 25197 1640 12 BM I
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