Józef Mann
24 February 1883 Lviv – 5 September 1921 Berlin
Józef Mann was born in Lviv, which was then called Lemberg and part of Austria; his ancestors had immigrated from the Rhineland
in the 18th century – two reasons why you'll often encounter his first name in German as Joseph or Josef. Mann was interested in
music and used to take part in synagogue services. He studied law and practiced as a lawyer, but he also studied voice (with Wysocki,
among others) and sang in concerts and amateur opera performances as a baritone.
He asked his idol Władysław Floriański for advice, who told him to change to tenor – whereupon
Mann made his official debut in Lemberg on 25 October 1909 in Halka (as Jontek).
Further appearances in Krakow and Warsaw
(as Canio) during the 1910/11 season. He then went to Milano
for further studies with Fernandino Guarino. His first big assignment
was in Vienna at the Volksoper in 1912. He appeared in both lyrical and dramatic parts, and sang Radames,
Lohengrin, Max and Pedro among other roles.
Both during and after his tenure at the Volksoper, Mann appeared as a guest
at the Vienna Hofoper/Staatsoper:
Radames (8 March 1912, total 2), Éléazar (9 May 1920), Lohengrin
(13 May 1915), Palestrina (7 May 1920).
During the 1915/16 season, Mann left the Volksoper and went on to sing
in Wiesbaden and Lemberg, before accepting a contract in Darmstadt.
There Mann confirmed his reputation as a tenor of the first
rank. During his Darmstadt engagement, he was invited to sing
in Berlin at the Hofoper in 1917: Ballo in maschera in February, Aida and Rigoletto in June.
He had outstanding success. On 8 December, Mann sang Éléazar, before repeating Radames on 13 December.
Upon leaving Berlin, Mann was awarded a contract for the
1918/19 season.
His first appearance in Berlin as a member of the troupe was
as Tristan on 6 September 1918 with Wildbrunn.
On 27 September, Mann sang in the premiere of Tannhäuser with Kemp,
Knüpfer, Schwarz and Wildbrunn. The next production
Mann took part in was Méhul's Joseph.
During his Berlin years, Mann's repertory included:
Der fliegende Holländer, Carmen, Fidelio, Der Evangelimann,
Otello, Don Giovanni, Il trovatore, Mona Lisa, Palestrina,
Aida, La traviata, La Juive, Pagliacci, Lohengrin,
Schahrazade (comp. Sekles), Tiefland, Die Gezeichneten,
and Parsifal.
From Berlin, Mann made guest appearances
in Munich, Frankfurt, Prague, Bucharest, Essen, Lübeck
and Leipzig. Mann had a contract in 1921 to sing at the Met, when during a Berlin performance of Aida on September 5th,
he suddenly died on stage at the end of act 2.
Mann recorded for Pathé and Odeon, a total of 87 sides.
Reference: Stimmen die um die Welt gingen, Nr. 42, December 1993
In RA format
In RA format
I wish to thank Vladimir Efimenko for the picture and recording (Pagliacci).
I wish to thank Thomas Silverbörg for the recordings (Tannhäuser, Juive).
Discography
Pathé, Lemberg, 1910 to 1912
51373 Skowroneczek śpiewa (Noskowski) 51373
51374 Tannhäuser (Wagner): Cześć tobie 51374, 21150
51375 Wiośna (Hildach) 51375
51376 Skrzypki śwaty (Kratzer) 51376
51377 Juive (Halévy): Rachelo, kiedy Pan 51377, 21150
51378 Straszny dwór (Moniuszko): Cisza dokoła 51378, 21151
51379 Halka (Moniuszko): I ty my wierzysz 51379, 21151
51380 Halka (Moniuszko): Szumią jodły 51380
51381 Evangelimann (Kienzl): Blogoslawieni 51381, 21167
51382 Aida (Verdi): Chcesz umrzyć 51382, 21147
51753 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Hüll dich in Tand nur 51753
51754 Evangelimann (Kienzl): Selig sind die Verfolgung leiden 51754
51755 Rigoletto (Verdi): O wie so trügerisch 51755
51756 Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Schäumt der süße Wein im Becher 51756
51757 Ave Maria (Schubert) 51757
51758 Lohengrin (Wagner): Nun sei bedankt ... Nie sollst du mich befragen 51758
51759 Rigoletto (Verdi): Freundlich blick' ich 51759
51915 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Takich zartów 51915, 21004
51916 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Śmiej się, pajacu 51916, 21004, 21071
51917 Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle (in Polish) 51917, 21071, 21125
51918 Panie, gdy serce drży (Moniuszko) 51918, 21005
51919 Janek (Zelenski): Gdy ślub weżmiesz 51919, 21126
51920 O Władco świata (Moniuszko) 51920, 21005
51921 Manru (Paderewski): Jako gdy wśród skwaru 51921
51922 Smutną jest dusza moja (Karlowicz) 51922
51923 Lohengrin (Wagner): Czyż nie oddychasz 51923
51924 Piosńka dudarza (Paderewski) 51924
51925 Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Pożegnanie 51925
51926 Dzwony (Niewiadomski) 51926, 21006, 21126
51941 Carmen (Bizet): O matko widzę cię (w. Dębicka) 51941, 21127
51942 Lohengrin (Wagner): Weselny przebrzmiał śpiew (w. Dębicka) 51942, 21127
51943 Faust (Gounod): Pozwól mi (w. Dębicka) 51943, 21128
51944 Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Bimba dagli occhi (w. Dębicka in Polish) 51944, 21128
51978 Kozak (Moniuszko) 51978
51979 Mów do mnie jeszcze (Rutkowski) 51979
51980 Ave Maria (Cherubini) 51980, 21008
51981 Znasz-li ten kraj (Moniuszko) 51981
51982 Smutno (Noskowski) 51982
51983 Gdybym był młodszy dziewczyno (Gall) 51983, 21006
51984 Wiośna (Moniuszko) 51984
51985 Jak że cię mam brać dziewczyno (Niewiadomski) 51985, 21008
51986 Na skrzydłach pieśni (= Auf Flügeln des Gesanges, Mendelssohn) 51986
52833 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Serenade Arlekina 52833, 21072, 21156
52834 Carmen (Bizet): Arya kwiatów 52834, 21156
52835 Lohengrin (Wagner): Nun sei bedankt ... Nie sollst du (in Polish) 52835
52836 Martha (Flotow): Ach, ten wdzięk 52836
52837 Traviata (Verdi): Więc pijmy 52837, 21125
52838 Krakowiaczek (Moniuszko) 52838
52839 Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola (in Polish) 52839, 21072, 21158
52840 Lohengrin (Wagner): Opowiadanie o Gralu 52840, 21158
52877 Dziesczę z buzią jak malina (Gall) 52877, 21013
52878 O Panie! Co losy ludzkosci (Moniuszko) 52878, 21013
52881 Jaśkowa dola (Niewiadomski): Nie swatała mi cię swatka 52881, 21001, 21014
52882 Ach zejdy do gondoli (Gall) 52882, 21160
52883 Aida (Verdi): Božská Aida 52883, 305, 21160, 6043
52884 Rigoletto (Verdi): Kobleta zmienna jest 52884, 21161
52885 Tosca (Puccini): Jak dziwnie tu sią zlewa 52885, 21161
52886 Rigoletto (Verdi): Ta lub inna 52886
Piosnka litewska (Chopin) 21014
Mlynareczka (Niewiadomski) 21014
Odeon, Berlin, June 1919
xxB6397 Königin von Saba (Goldmark): Am Fuße des Libanon unpublished
xxB6397-2 Königin von Saba (Goldmark): Am Fuße des Libanon 80730, 80906, O-8574
xxB6398 Königin von Saba (Goldmark): Aus klaren Fluten unpublished
xxB6398-2 Königin von Saba (Goldmark): Aus klaren Fluten unpublished
xxB6398-3 Königin von Saba (Goldmark): Aus klaren Fluten 80731, 80907, O-8574
xxB6399 Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Das Schiff? Siehst du's noch nicht? unpublished
xxB6399-2 Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Das Schiff? Siehst du's noch nicht? 80750, 80913, 81915, O-8580
xxB6400 Tannhäuser (Wagner): Inbrunst im Herzen unpublished
xxB6400-2 Tannhäuser (Wagner): Inbrunst im Herzen unpublished
xxB6400-3 Tannhäuser (Wagner): Inbrunst im Herzen 80744, 80908, 81900, O-8579
xxB6401 Tannhäuser (Wagner): Da sah ich ihn unpublished
xxB6401-2 Tannhäuser (Wagner): Da sah ich ihn 80745, 80909, O-8579
xxB6402 Otello (Verdi): Du? Verräter! Weiche! unpublished
xxB6402-2 Otello (Verdi): Du? Verräter! Weiche! unpublished
xxB6402-3 Otello (Verdi): Du? Verräter! Weiche! 80740, 80914, O-8577
xxB6403 Aida (Verdi): Holde Aida unpublished
xxB6403-2 Aida (Verdi): Holde Aida 80700, 80915, O-8563
xxB6404 Juive (Halévy): Kehr, o Gott uns'rer Väter (w. chorus) unpublished
xxB6404-2 Juive (Halévy): Kehr, o Gott uns'rer Väter (w. chorus) 80729, 80910, 81902, O-8573
xxB6405 Carmen (Bizet): Hier an dem Herzen unpublished
xxB6405-2 Carmen (Bizet): Hier an dem Herzen 80701, 80912, O-8563
xxB6406 Juive (Halévy): Recha, als Gott dich einst unpublished
xxB6406-2 Juive (Halévy): Recha, als Gott dich einst 80728, 80911, O-8573
Odeon, Berlin, April 1921
xxB6627 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Hüll dich in Tand nur 80708, 80929, O-8567
xxB6627-2 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Hüll dich in Tand nur 80708
xxB6628 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Nein, bin Bajazzo nicht bloß 80709, 80924, O-8567
xxB6629 Ballo in maschera (Verdi): O sag', wenn ich fahr' 80735, 80923, O-8575
xxB6630 Tiefland (d'Albert): Zwei Vaterunser 80736, 80930?, O-8575
xxB6647 Halka (Moniuszko): Szumią jodły 80724, 80916, O-8572
xxB6648 Parsifal (Wagner): Amfortas! Die Wunde! 80742, O-8578
xxB6649 Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Schäumt der süße Wein 80716, 80918, O-8570
xxB6650 Otello (Verdi): Jeder Knabe 80741, O-8577
xxB6685 Halka (Moniuszko): I ty mu wierzysz 80725, 80931, O-8572
xxB6686 Otello (Verdi): Jeder Knabe 80741, 80919, O-8577
xxB6687 Trovatore (Verdi): Dass nur für mich 80717, 80921, O-8570
xxB6688 Tannhäuser (Wagner): Dir töne Lob 80743, 80932, O-8578
xxB6689 Aida (Verdi): Božská Aida 80702, O-8564
xxB6690 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Smiej się, Pajacu 80703, 80930?, O-8564
xxB6691 Aida (Verdi): Ich seh' dich wieder (w. Kemp) 80704, 80925, O-8518
xxB6692 Aida (Verdi): Zur Ferne entflieh'n (w. Kemp) 80705, 80926, O-8518
xxB6693 Mona Lisa (Schillings): Fiordalisa (w. Kemp) 80738, 80927, O-8576
xxB6694 Mona Lisa (Schillings): Ein Wunder (w. Kemp) 80739, 80928, O-8576
Source for the discography: Gesellschaft für historische Tonträger, Wien
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