Siegfried Härtel (Bass-Baritone)

Born: 1927 (?) - Görlitz, Germany

The German bass-baritone, Siegfried Härtel, received his first training in his birth city Görlitz and in 1946-1948 was active at the there city theatre there as choirist; however already took over smaller roles. Since 1948 he was engaged as a soloist at the contract to the Landestheater Brandenburg in Potsdam and continued his training with Erwin Michaels. In the beginning of the 1950's he moved to West Berlin, studied there and also appeared occasionally as an actor.

From 1955 to 1959 Siegfried Härtel was engaged at the Stadttheater of Münster (Westphalia) and moved in 1959 to the Opera House of Cologne. In 1961 he was appointed to the Staatstheater Hannover, at which he had over 25 years long career. From here he made guest appearances abroad in European countries, in South and North America. His stage repertoire covered about 120 roles, including Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Eremiten in Freischütz, van Bett in Zar und Zimmermann and Baculus in Wildschütz by Lortzing, Beckmesser in Meistersingern, Klingsor in Parsifal, Musiklehrer (music teacher) in Ariadne auf Naxos by R. Strauss, the Doctor in Wozzeck by Alban Berg, Moses in Moses und Aron by Arnold Schoenberg and the title role in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. He also appeared successfully as a concert singer.

Recordings: Records: RCA (complete Sly by E. Wolf-Ferrari).

Source: Großes Sängerlexikon (Authors: K. J. Kutsch / Leo Riemens; Expanded 3^rd edition 1999/2000; K.G. Saur Verlag, Munich), English translation by Aryeh Oron (June 2006)
Contributed by Thomas Braatz (June 2006)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Wolfgang Gönnenwein

Bass

BWV 244

Max Thurn

Bass

Radio: BWV 68

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