FRANZ MICHAEL BOHNEN (COLOGNE, GERMANY, 2 MAY, 1887 – BERLIN, GERMANY, 26 APRIL, 1965)
He studied singing at the Cologne Conservatory under Fritz Steinbach and Richard Dornburg, making his debut in 1910 at the Opernhaus in Düsseldorf as Kaspar in Der Freischütz. In 1910, he also performed in the premiere of Alfred Kaiser’s opera Stella Maris. Between 1911 and 1914, he was engaged at the Hoftheater in Wiesbaden.
In 1914, he joined the Hofoper in Berlin, achieving sensational success as Gurnemanz in Parsifal. That same year, he made guest appearances in London at the Drury Lane Theatre (as Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier under Sir Thomas Beecham) and at the Bayreuth Festival, performing as Hunding and Daland. During World War I, he served as a soldier but formed a 200-strong soldiers’ choir, with whom he toured German cities. Discharged from military service in 1916, he resumed his career at the Hofoper in Berlin, where he performed until 1918.
In 1922, he joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York, enjoying great success until 1932. He sang Francesco in the American premiere of Max von Schillings’ opera Mona Lisa, opposite Barbara Kemp, the composer’s wife (March 1, 1923). His final appearance at the Met was in 1932 as the Wanderer in Siegfried.
The composer Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek wrote his opera Holofernes for him, and he created the title role at its Berlin premiere at the Deutsche Oper on October 27, 1923. He also participated in the world premiere of Leo Blech’s Rappelkopf (1917). In 1928, he starred in Berlin in the operetta Casanova by Johann Strauss-Benatzky and continued to perform in numerous operettas and films.
He made guest appearances in Vienna (1920-1922, 1938), Budapest (1925), Buenos Aires (Teatro Colón, 1933), Basel and Bern (1920-1922), The Hague (as Kaspar in Der Freischütz, 1927), and at the Salzburg Festival (as Kaspar, 1939). He also performed in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, and Czechoslovakia.
After his success in the U.S., he returned to Germany in 1932 and performed at the Deutschen Opernhaus in Berlin from 1935 to 1945, focusing increasingly on film work. From 1945 to 1947, he served as director of the Städtische Oper in Berlin. His final stage performance was as Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in 1951.
He was briefly married to soprano Mary Lewis (1900–1941) and later to dancer La Jana (1905–1941).
TRACKLIST
Africaine (Meyerbeer) Dir, o Königin Gramophone B22178 1098as
Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Die Verleumdung Favorite 2-15089
Carmen (Bizet) Auf in den Kampf Odeon O-6804, xxB7495
Erlkönig (Loewe) Odeon O-6818 xxB7499
Faust (Gounod) Le veau d’or Odeon O-6804 xxB7497
Faust (Gounod) Mephisto-Serenade Gramophone 4-42557, 13630r
Faust (Gounod) Rondo vom goldenen Kalb (w. chorus) Gramophone 4-42558, 61716
Faust (Gounod) Wohlan, unterschreibe (w. Hutt) Gramophone 3-44163 19040L
Fidelio (Beethoven) Hat man nicht auch Geld beineben Favorite 2-15085
Hans Heiling (Marschner) An jenem Tag Gramophone B22042 1115m
Juive (Halévy) Wenn ew’ger Haß Odeon O-6808
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Doch eines Abends spät Odeon XX76571 xxB6286
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Geliebter, spare den Zorn (w. Bettendorf, Lüders & Öhman) Parlophon P9014 2-8903xxB7518
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Jerum, Jerum (w. Bettendorf, Öhman & Schützendorf) Parlophon P9014
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Wahn! Wahn! Odeon XX76570, xxB6285
Mona Lisa (von Schillings) Seht hier des Meeres wunderbarsten Schatz Gramophone B22093 1009as
Otello (Verdi) O komm, mein liebes Becherlein Gramophone 4-42653 19052L
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prolog Odeon XX76710, xxB6293
Parsifal (Wagner) O Wunden – wundervoller heiliger Speer! Odeon 76461 xxB6061
Parsifal (Wagner) Titurel, der fromme Held Odeon 76462 xxB6060
Prinz Eugen (Loewe) Odeon O-6818, xxB7498
Prodana Nevesta (Smetana) Wer in Lieb’ entbrannt Odeon O-6808 xxB7494
Rheingold (Wagner) Abendlich strahlt Gramophone 042574 1410s
Rigoletto (Verdi) Gleich sind wir beide Odeon XX76709 xxB6292
Robert le diable (Meyerbeer) Voici donc les débris Gramophone F22061 1036as
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