Ludwig Weber

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Ludwig Weber (July 29, 1899 – December 9, 1979) was an Austrian bass. He was born and died in Vienna, Austria. He studied with Alfred Borrotau, a well respected teacher, and had his debut in 1920 at the Vienna Volksoper. In 1933 he became a member of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. In 1945 he became a member of the Vienna State Opera, until his retirement around 1965. By then, he had started to teach at the Mozarteum in Salzburg (1961). Weber sang at the Bayreuth Festival from 1951-1962.

Weber possessed one of the most beautiful bass voices of the twentieth century. Some of his most famous roles were Gurnemanz from Parsifal, Sarastro from The Magic Flute, and Baron Ochs from Der Rosenkavalier. In 1950, he appeared in complete Der Ring des Niebelungen conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler at La Scala in Milan, singing the roles of Fasolt in Das Rheingold, Hunding in Die Walkure, Fafner in Siegfried, and Hagen in Gotterdammerung.

The title role from Boris Godunov was one of Weber's favorites and excerpts (sung in German) survive from a performance broadcast over the radio. He also was a brilliant Fasolt from Das Rheingold and King Marke from Tristan und Isolde.

His successor in terms of style and vocal quality is Kurt Moll.

[edit] Selected discography

  • Gotterdammerung excepts only with Wilhelm Furtwangler(1937) singing the role of Hagen
  • Boris Godunov excerpts only with Carl Leonhardt and the Reichssenders Orchestra Stuttgart, singing the title role
  • Götterdammerung with Rudolf Moralt (1949) singing the role of Hagen
  • The Magic Flute with Herbert von Karajan (1950) singing the role of Sarastro
  • Der Ring des Niebelungen with Wilhelm Furtwangler (1950) singing the roles of Fasolt, Hunding, Fafner and Hagen
  • Parsifal with Hans Knappertsbusch (1951)singing the role of Guernemanz
  • Götterdammerung with Hans Knappertsbusch (1951) singing the role of Hagen
  • Tristan und Isolde with Herbert von Karajan (1952) singing the role of King Marke
  • Parsifal with Clemens Krauss (1953) singing the role of Guernemanz
  • Der Rosenkavalier with Erich Kleiber (1954) singing the role of Baron Ochs
  • Das Rheingold with Joseph Keilberth (1955) singing the role of Fasolt
Persondata
NAME Weber, Ludwig
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Austrian bass opera singer
DATE OF BIRTH July 29, 1899
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna, Austria
DATE OF DEATH December 9, 1979
PLACE OF DEATH Vienna, Austria
Languages