Maria Friesenhausen (Soprano)

Born: March 23, 1922 - Altendorf (a.d. Ruhr) or Bochum, Germany

The father of the German soprano Maria Friesenhausen was a church musician. She received her training at the Folkwang-Musikschulen in Essen, and among her teachers was Hilde Wesselmann. She received there in 1957 her diploma as singing teacher and opera singer.

In her career Maria Friesenhausen concentrated completely on the concert singing, particularly as an oratorio soloist, in addition to Lieder singing and recordings. Extended concert tours led her from her hometown Bochum to the German music centres, to Paris, Vienna, Geneva, Helsinki and to many other centres of the international music life. She proved herself as a great Bach intrpreter and as a specialist in the area of Baroque music. She also performed considerable part of her repertoire in radio broadcasts.

Maria Friesenhausen made many recordings on different labels, including also stage works, although the artist did not actually performed them on the stage (such as on HMV-Electrola in Le Bourgeois gentilhomme by Lully).

Her recordings include Bach Cantatas on Cantate and on Bärenreiter-Verlag (including works of Heinrich Schütz), on Laudate, on Soli Deo Gloria, on Calig/Koch (Lied von der Glocke by A. Romberg) and on Carus-Verlag (Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248) by J.S. Bach).

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2001)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2001, October 2004)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Wilhelm Ehmann

Soprano

BWV 36, BWV 64

Hans Grischkat

Soprano

BWV 149, BWV 248

Helmuth Rilling

Soprano

BWV 63, BWV 187

Max Thurn

Soprano

Radio: BWV 1, BWV 25, BWV 78, BWV 105, BWV 110, BWV 140, BWV 146, BWV 180

Fritz Werner

Soprano

BWV 1, BWV 10, BWV 28, BWV 119

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