Fritz Windgassen

Fritz Windgassen was born on February 9th, 1883 in Lennep, near Remscheid.

Following the wish of his parents, Windgassen took up a career in the German navy as a machinist's mate. Only after Prince Heinrich of Prussia praised his singing ability, did he embark on a singing career. After vocal studies at the Bernuth Conservatory in Hamburg, he made his debut in 1909 in Harburg. Further engagements took him to Bremen, Hamburg and the Hoftheater in Kassel, where he met the coloratura soprano Vally van Osten (1882–1923), whom he married in 1916. From 1923 to 1945, he was a member of the Staatsoper in Stuttgart. Beginning in 1919, he increasingly specialized in heldentenor roles and became a renowned Wagner singer.

He was also much in demand as a concert and Lieder singer. He gave his farewell concert in Stuttgart in 1949, featuring works by Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, and Hugo Wolf where his son, Wolfgang Windgassen, also took part.

After his retirement from the stage, Windgassen taught at the Stuttgart conservatory. He died on April 17th, 1963 in Murnau.
Reference

Grammophon, 1925
mx 2099 ax     Über Nacht                                  62498
mx 2100 ax     Heimliche Aufforderung                      62497
mx 2101 ax     Traum durch die Dämmerung                   62497
mx 2103 ax     Der Rattenfänger                            62499
mx 2104 ax     Heimweh                                     62498
mx 2105 ax     Ännchen von Tharau                          62499