Emil Fischer (; June 13, 1838 - August 11, 1914), was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

dramatic

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three ...

, born in

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

. His parents were Friedrich and

Caroline Fischer-Achten Caroline Fischer-Achten (29 January 1806 – 13 September 1896) was an Austrian operatic soprano. She appeared at the Royal Court Theatre in Vienna, and toured Germany. Life She was born in Vienna in 1806, daughter of Anton Achten, a civil servan ...

, both opera singers."Fischer (Fischer-Achten), Ehepaar"
''

Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon The ''Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon'Oesterreichisch'' with ''Oe'' is the spelling of the print and online output. (, ) is a five-volume music encyclopedia founded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences' Commission for Music Research. It was offic ...

''. Retrieved 14 March 2022. He made his début in 1857 in

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

in Boieldieu's '' Jean de Paris''. After that, he filled various engagements in

Pressburg Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

Stettin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major seaport, the largest city of northwestern Poland, and se ...

, and Brauschweig. From 1863 to 1870, he was director of the opera at Danzig. From 1875 to 1880, Fischer sang in Rotterdam, and from 1880 until 1885 in Dresden. The period from 1885 to 1891 at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, marks the culmination of his artistic triumphs.

Lilli Lehmann Lilli Lehmann (born Elisabeth Maria Lehmann, later Elisabeth Maria Lehmann-Kalisch; 24 November 1848 – 17 May 1929) was a German operatic dramatic coloratura soprano. She was also a voice teacher and animal welfare advocate. Biography The fu ...

Max Alvary Max Alvary (3 May 1856 – 7 November 1898), born as Maximilian Achenbach, was a German operatic tenor. Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, he was the son of the painter Andreas Achenbach, over whose initial objections he pursued his singing career. H ...

, and

Marianne Brandt Marianne Brandt (1 October 1893 – 18 June 1983) was a German painter, sculptor, photographer, metalsmith, and designer who studied at the Bauhaus art school in Weimar and later became head of the Bauhaus ''Metall-Werkstatt'' (Metal Workshop ...

performed there with him. More than only creating the bass roles in

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's later , as far as America is concerned, he firmly established his reputation as a Wagner interpreter equalled by very few. From 1895 until 1897, he performed in several American cities as a member of

Walter Damrosch Walter Johannes Damrosch (January 30, 1862December 22, 1950) was a Prussian-born American conductor and composer. He was the director of the New York Symphony Orchestra and conducted the world premiere performances of various works, including Aa ...

's German

Damrosch Opera Company The Damrosch Opera Company was an American opera company which existed from 1894 until 1900. The company was organized by Walter Damrosch, and was meant to present German opera; in this capacity it did much to advance the cause of Richard Wagner's ...

. He appeared once more, and for the last time, at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1907. Fischer died in Hamburg at the beginning of World War I. He left no known recordings of his voice.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Emil 1838 births 1914 deaths German operatic basses Musicians from Braunschweig People from the Duchy of Brunswick 19th-century German male opera singers