Herbert Alsen

Herbert Alsen ( born October 12, 1906 in Hildesheim, † 25 October 1978 in Vienna ) was a German -Austrian opera singer in the bass voice.

Life

The architect son, who already played during his high school days in the episcopal orchestra wanted to be a violinist, after high school actually. But while his music studies at the Music Academy in Berlin fell to his singing voice, which he had henceforth form. At the same time he studied theater arts at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

His first engagement as a singer, he received in 1932 in Hagen, where he debuted as Rocco in Fidelio. This was soon followed by engagements at the stages of Dessau and Wiesbaden. In 1935, he accepted an offer from the Vienna State Opera. There he sang all the great tenor roles. The Vienna Opera house belonged to Herbert Alsen and 1949 as a permanent member of. The artist has also appeared at the Salzburg Festival. There he sang example, from 1936 to 1938 the Pogner in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 1939 Kasper in Der Freischütz, 1939 and 1941, the bass solo in the 9th Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Among his favorite roles included Gurnemanz in Parsifal, Sarastro in The Magic Flute and Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio. Herbert Alsen, who was appointed in 1947 to the Austrian opera singer, sang at the great opera stages of the world, in New York, London, Milan, Munich, Salzburg, Berlin etc.

Retired to Alsen and his wife moved back to a country house on Lake Neusiedl where he created in 1957 the Mörbisch Lake Festival. In March 1959 he was appointed head of the Burgenland directorship and thus took over the management of its existing since 1954 Burgspiele Forchtenstein [note 1], and in its vicinity in 1962 with the Grillparzer forum was an international center of Grillparzer research, from its mid-1963 came the suggestion to the foundation of Grillparzer ring. [Note [Note and directed by Alsen as its director until his death - 2] Before the 1965 season, the two games were (including Grillparzer Forum) organizationally in the entertainment and community management Burgenland Festival. 3]

Herbert Alsen, honorary citizen of Mörbisch, winner of Grillparzer - ring, was buried in the Protestant cemetery of Mörbisch to rest on November 2, 1978. On July 26, 1980 in Mörbisch the space behind the Protestant church, coupled with the unveiling of a memorial stone, officially to Prof. Herbert Alsen - Platz. [Note 4]

The singer was married to costume designer Gisela Bossert since 1942. In the years 1957-1991 she was responsible for the design of the costumes in Mörbisch. She died on 17 February 2012, 90 -year-old. From this marriage the daughter Marina Alsen (* 1942) has emerged.

An extensive discography documenting the great musical spectrum of this artist. Within the Toscanini Edition appeared a complete recording of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by the Salzburg Festival in 1937 with Herbert Alsen as Pogner.

Discography

• The Magic Flute (1937 ), 1988, obv.
• The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (1944 ), 1994, obv.
• Polyphemus (1944 ), 1995, obv.
• The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (1937 ), 1997, obv.
• Daphne (1944 ), 1999
• Macbeth (1943 ), 2000, obv.
• Fidelio (1944 ), 2001
• Documents of a singing career in 2003
• Salome (1954 ), 2005, obv.

Literature (including audio and video)

• Elvira Ruzicka - Picher ( Aufnahmel. ) et al.: The dream of a life of Franz Grillparzer, directed by Leopold Lindtberg. Sample extracts from a staging of the Castle Games Forchtenstein 1972. With comments from Herbert Alsen (Director of Burgenland Festival ), Leopold Lindtberg (Director), Karl Eugen Spurny ( set designer ). Theater Scientific Documentation ( NBM / Film ), volume 2 1 film (16 mm, 47 min): color, magnetic sound, original sound. State Head Office for Scientific Cinematography ( BHWK ), Vienna 1983, OBV.
• Karl J. Kutsch, Leo belt: Large Sängerlexikon. Volume 1: A - L. Francke, Bern / Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-317-01638-8, column 42
• Eva Deissen (ed. ): Mörbisch - a festival writes operetta history. Materials accompanying CD. Echo Media - Verlag, Wien 2007, ISBN 978-3-901761-62-1.