Matthias Hölle (born 8 July 1951) is a German
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 ...
in opera and concert who has made an international career. He performed regularly at the
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...
in major roles such as Hunding in ''
Die Walküre'', King Marke in ''
Tristan und Isolde
''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner set to a German libretto by the composer, loosely based on the medieval 12th-century romance ''Tristan and Iseult'' by Gottfried von Stras ...
'', and Gurnemanz in ''
Parsifal''. He appeared in the world premieres of Stockhausen's ''
Donnerstag aus Licht'' and ''
Samstag aus Licht'' at
La Scala
La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...
in Milan.
Life
Born in
Rottweil, Hölle studied voice at the with
Georg Jelden and at the with
Josef Metternich.
He then became known as an oratorio singer. From 1976 to 1987, he belonged to the ensemble of the
Cologne Opera.
After that he moved to the
Staatstheater Stuttgart,
where he was awarded the title of
Kammersänger
Kammersänger (male; ) or Kammersängerin (female; ), abbreviated Ks. or KS, is a German Title of honor, honorific title for distinguished singers of opera and classical music. It literally means "chamber singer". Historically, the title was besto ...
.
From 1981 to 2001, Hölle performed every summer at the
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...
, as Hunding in ''
Die Walküre'', Fasolt in ''
Das Rheingold
''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis, WWV 86A, is the first of the four epic poetry, epic music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Literary cycle, cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nib ...
'', as both Titurel and Gurnemanz in ''
Parsifal'', Veit Pogner in ''
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
(; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is traditio ...
'', King Marke in ''
Tristan und Isolde
''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner set to a German libretto by the composer, loosely based on the medieval 12th-century romance ''Tristan and Iseult'' by Gottfried von Stras ...
'' and as Daland in ''
Der fliegende Holländer''.
Hölle has performed as a guest at major international operas such as
La Scala
La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...
in Milan and the
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...
, and at international festivals such as the
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...
. In 1978, he received recognition as the Komtur in Mozart's ''
Don Giovanni
''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...
''.
At La Scala, he appeared as Lucifer in the world premieres of Stockhausen's ''
Donnerstag aus Licht'' on 15 March 1981 and ''
Samstag aus Licht'' on 25 May 1984.
He appeared in New York City as Rocco in Beethoven's ''
Fidelio
''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...
''.
When the Oper Frankfurt was reopened after a fire, he performed as Sarastro in Mozart's ''
Die Zauberflöte''.
His recordings include the Stockhausen works, the Bayreuth broadcasts, and complete recordings of ''Die Zauberflöte'', ''Don Giovanni'', and ''Fidelio''.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holle, Matthias
1951 births
Living people
German operatic basses
People from Rottweil