Oscar Bolz

Picture of Oscar Bolz

Oscar Bolz was born in 1875 in Magdeburg. He studied in Berlin and became a licensed dentist, when his voice was discovered. Bolz entered the Sternsches Konservatorium. He made his debut as heldentenor in 1900 in Olomouc/Olmütz, went on to Barmen in 1902, before arriving in Aachen. Bühne der Welt wrote:
A bit late, but with the necessary care, Das Rheingold was performed in Aachen. Mr. Bolz, as Loge, did not manage to be the center point of attention. Mr. Bolz gave several guest appearances: In Elberfeld, he was Turiddu and Canio. He showed great vocal qualities while his temperament lead him to overplay the parts. In Essen, he was Siegfried during the last part of the season, replacing Mr. Rupert Gogl, and was excellent.
A major career change was the move to Mainz in 1904. In a performance of Siegfried, Bolz was named first in the review, despite the the domineering dramatic soprano Hedwig Materna. Reviews considered him vocally impressive. After guest appearances as Raoul and Siegfried in 1905 in Stuttgart, he was hired to replace the departing Costa. Dr. Fritz Volbach said in the review Musik:
The new appointed tenor, Mr. Bolz, drew attention as Masaniello. His future will depend on whether he can bring his artistic skills to the level of his vocal skills. In the new production of Verdi's Amelia (i.e. Ballo) he was as Richard quite appropriate for those parts. However in the Ring, as Loge, Siegmund and Siegfried, he was quite impossible. He has no nobility and cannot control his acting.
Bolz became internationally known when he replaced Carl Burrian as Herod in 1907 in Paris. He had a triumph in 1908 as Otello in Stuttgart. There, Bolz proved to be also a major Wagnerian singer. In 1909, Bolz took some time off to go to Milan to study further with Lamperti and Sibella. Upon his return, he proved to be indispensable, and in spite of quarrels, remained as Stuttgart's first tenor until the end of the Kaiser period. The end of the war meant the collapse of Bolz' world. All contracts were canceled. Bolz went to Halle in 1918, where he impressed. After a detour through Nürnberg, he arrived in 1921 at the Berlin Staatsoper. By that time, he was over the hill. Bolz retired in 1925 and became an impresario. He moved to Munich for good in 1927. He died in 1935 while being in Zoppot, attending a rehearsal of Rienzi at the Waldoper.

Oscar Bolz singsIl trovatore: Lodern zum Himmel
In RA format

Discography
Odeon, Berlin, December 1907
xB3500-5   Trovatore (Verdi): Lodern zum Himmel				X64793, X51589
xB3503	   Tannhäuser (Wagner): Dir töne Lob				X64783, X51588
xB3506	   Aida (Verdi): Holde Aida					X64779, X51587
	   Trovatore (Verdi): Dass nur für mich dein Herz erbebt	X25317
	   Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola, rosengleich		X25046, X64780
	   Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Jetzt spielen			X25047, X64781
	   Juive (Halévy): Recha, als Gott dich einst			X25316, X64782
	   Carmen (Bizet): Hier an dem Herzen treu geborgen		X64971, X51591

Odeon, Berlin, March 1908
xB3763	   Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond 		X64937, X51592
xB3764	   Walküre (Wagner): Siegmund heiß' ich 			X64966, X51593

Odeon, Berlin, April 1908
xxB3839	   Lohengrin (Wagner): Mein lieber Schwan			AA56988, XX76020
xB3840	   Lohengrin (Wagner): Atmest du nicht mit mir			X25657
xB3841	   Prophète (Meyerbeer): Herr, dich in den Sternenkreisen	unpubl
xB3841-2   d:o								X99089, X51617
xB3842	   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd 	X99086, X51615
xB3843	   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend	X99094, X51616
xB3844	   Africaine (Meyerbeer): Land so wunderbar			unpubl
xB3844-2   d:o								X25658
xB3845	   Prophète (Meyerbeer): Keins von allen Erdenreichen 		X51618
xB3845-2   d:o								X99091

Parlophon, Berlin, 29 January 1912
2-1141	   Otello (Verdi): Jeder Knabe					P1141, P297, P340
2-1142	   Juive (Halévy): Recha, als Gott dich einst			P1142, P296
2-1143	   Africaine (Meyerbeer): Land so wunderbar			P1143, P295
2-1144	   Trovatore (Verdi): Dass nur für mich dein Herz erbebt	P1144, P296

Parlophon, Berlin, 30 January 1912
2-1145	   Prophète (Meyerbeer): Herr, dich in den Sternenkreisen 	P1145, P295
2-1146	   Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond 		P1146, P293
2-1147	   Walküre (Wagner): Siegmund heiß' ich 			P1147, P293
2-1148	   Trovatore (Verdi): Einsam steh' ich & Lodern zum Himmel	P1148, P298
2-1149	   Otello (Verdi): Du, Verräter! Weiche!			P1149, P297
2-1150	   Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Jetzt spielen 			P1150, P298

Polyphon, Berlin, May 1913
7735	   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd 	12379, Specialophon 725
7736	   Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond 		12379, Specialophon 726
7737	   Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Jetzt spielen			12378, Specialophon 723
7738	   Trovatore (Verdi): Lodern zum Himmel				12380
7739	   Africaine (Meyerbeer): Land so wunderbar			12380
7740	   Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola, rosengleich		12378, Specialophon 724

Polyphon, Berlin, August 1913
8085b	   Lohengrin (Wagner): In fernem Land				12398, Specialophon 774,
									Bella-Record 2578
8086a	   Lohengrin (Wagner): Mein lieber Schwan			12398
8087b	   Aida (Verdi): Holde Aida					12405
8089b	   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend	12405, Specialophon 773

Favorite, Berlin, September 1913
3057-b+	   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd 	1-015154
3058-b+	   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend	1-015155
90-c	   Lohengrin (Wagner): Wenn ich im Kampfe (w. Denera)		2-19011
91-c	   Lohengrin (Wagner): Das süße Lied (w. Denera)		2-19012
	   Tannhäuser (Wagner): Inbrunst im Herzen pt. 1		2-15075
	   Tannhäuser (Wagner): Inbrunst im Herzen pt. 2		2-15076

Odeon, Berlin, 18 March 1925
Be4531	   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend 	unpubl ("zerstört")
Be4532	   Tannhäuser (Wagner): Dir töne Lob 				unpubl ("zerstört")
xxBo8525   Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond 		unpubl

Odeon, Berlin, 4 September 1925
Be4532-2   Tannhäuser (Wagner): Dir töne Lob! 				unpubl ("zerstört")
Be4762	   Lohengrin (Wagner): Atmest du nicht 				unpubl
xxBo8525-3 Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond 		O-6274
xxBo8614   Walküre (Wagner): Siegmund heiß' ich				O-6274

Artiphon, Berlin, 6 November 1925
7175	   Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond 		7175
7176	   Lohengrin (Wagner): In fernem Land				7176
7177	   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend 	7177
7178	   Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola, rosengleich		7178, Limania 864
7179	   Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Jetzt spielen			7179, Limania 864

Odeon, Berlin, 7 November 1925
Be4531-2   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend 	unpubl ("zerstört")
Be4880	   Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd 	unpubl
Be4881	   Otello (Verdi): Du, Verräter! Weiche!			unpubl
Reference: Einhard Luther, So viel der Helden. Biographie eines Stimmfaches, Teil 3: Wagnertenöre der Kaiserzeit (1871–1918), Berlin 2006

Sources for the discography: Gesellschaft für historische Tonträger, Wien; Robert Johannesson's great but defunct website 78opera.com


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