Max Proebstl (24 September 1913 – 19 November 1979) was a German opera and

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

singer (

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 ...

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Life and career

Born in Munich, Proebstl studied at the Music Academy in his hometown with the famous bass singer Paul Bender. At the age of 28 he made his debut at the Stadttheater in Kaiserslautern. From 1942 to 1943 he was at the Stadttheater Augsburg and from 1943 to 1944 at the Theater Dortmund. Afterwards he was drafted for military service for a few months. In 1947 Proebstl returned to the music stage of Augsburg. He stayed there for two years and then went to the

Bavarian State Opera The Bavarian State Opera () is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bavarian State Orchestra. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under El ...

as a permanent member of the ensemble, to which he belonged for more than 25 years. Proebstl sang on almost all major opera stages of the German and English speaking countries. His roles included: Falstaff in the opera of the same name, Bartolo in ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( ) is an ''opera buffa'' (comic opera) in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's French comedy ' ...

'', Osmin in ''

Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () (Köchel catalogue, K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's . The plot concer ...

'', Kasper in ''

Der Freischütz ' (Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns, J. 277, Opus number, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Johann Fried ...

'', Antonio in ''

Le Nozze di Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...

'' etc. Among his vocal partners were Erika Köth, Hertha Töpper,

Irmgard Seefried Irmgard Seefried (9 October 191924 November 1988) was a distinguished German soprano who sang opera, sacred music, and lieder. Maria Theresia Irmgard Seefried was born in , near Mindelheim, Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of educated Austri ...

, Hermann Prey,

Fritz Wunderlich Friedrich "Fritz" Karl Otto Wunderlich (26 September 1930 – 17 September 1966) was a German lyric tenor, famed for his singing of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart repertory and various lieder. He died in an accident aged 35. Biography Wunde ...

, Hans Hotter and

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (; 28 May 1925 – 18 May 2012) was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music. One of the most famous Lieder (art song) performers of the post-war period, he is best known as a singer of Franz Schubert's ...

. In 1957 the artist played Count Starhemberg at the Bavarian State Opera in the world premiere of Hindemith's opera '' Die Harmonie der Welt''. He was also a concert and oratorio singer. From 1961 to 1967, for example, he appeared at 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 Beethoven's Oratorio '' Christus am Ölberge''. Proebstl died in Munich at age 66.

Bibliography

* Karl-Josef Kutsch, Leo Riemens: ''

Großes Sängerlexikon ''Großes Sängerlexikon'' (''Biographical Dictionary of Singers'', literally: Large singers' lexicon) is a single-field dictionary of singers in classical music, edited by Karl-Josef Kutsch and Leo Riemens and first published in 1987. The fi ...

.'' Second volume: ''M–Z.'' Stuttgart 1987, .

References

External links

Proebstl, Max
on BMLO *
Max Proebstl
on Pristine Classical * {{DEFAULTSORT:Proebstl, Max German operatic basses 1913 births 1979 deaths Singers from Munich 20th-century German male opera singers