Franz Crass (born 9 March 1928 in Wipperfürth, Rhine Province) is a German bass.
A native of Wipperfürth, Crass studied with Gerda Heuer in Wiesbaden and with Professor Clemens Glettenberg at the Hochschule für Musik in Köln. He won numerous competitions throughout Germany in the 1950s. In 1954 he made his debut at the municipal theater in Krefeld; from 1956 he sang at the Landestheater Hannover.
Crass established a reputation as a Wagnerian early in his career, appearing at the Bayreuth Festival in 1959 and 1960. He made guest appearances throughout Germany, and was a regular member of the Köln Opera from 1962 until 1964. In addition to his work as a concert and oratorio singer, he became known for singing works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Crass ended his career abruptly due to hearing trouble in 1981; since then he has devoted himself to coaching younger singers.
The Kammersänger left recordings as Heinrich der Vogler in Lohengrin (opposite Anja Silja's Elsa), Sarastro in The Magic Flute, the Sprecher and Second Armed Man in Otto Klemperer's famous recording of The Magic Flute, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, the title role in Der fliegende Holländer, Gurnemanz in Parsifal; also as baritone soloist in the Brahms Requiem and Bach's Christmas Oratorio, and as bass soloist in the Mozart Requiem.