Werner Hollweg

Werner Hollweg, born 13 September 1936 in Solingen. First a bank employee, he studied relatively late and made his debut in 1962 at the Kammeroper in Vienna (a tiny "off-broadway" opera theatre). His next stages were Bonn, Gelsenkirchen and Düsseldorf. A first-rate international career followed, with appearances in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Salzburg, Rome and many other places. A Mozart and lieder specialist. In his later years, the voice was heavily damaged (according to opera gossip: by alcohol). He died on January 1st, 2007, in Freiburg im Breisgau, from a rare and incurable disease of the kinetic nervous system.

The aria from Entführung aus dem Serail is a usually omitted selection. Hollweg's Zwerg is a desert island recording for me, and probably my favourite among all lieder recordings I've ever heard.

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