Karl-Christian Kohn (Bass)

Born: May 21, 1928 - Losheim by Saarbrücken, Germany
Died: January 20, 2006

The German bass, Karl-Christian Kohn, studied until 1952 at the Musikhochschule Saarbrücken and was also pupil of Irene Eden.

Karl-Christian Kohn made his debut in 1952 at the Stadttheater of Saarbrücken. Since 1954 he had his first big successes at the Deutschen Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf-Duisburg, to which he belonged until 1957, and where he participated among other things in 1954 in the premiere of the opera Die Heimkehr by M. Mihalovici. From 1956 to 1958 he sang at the Städtischen Oper Berlin and then in 1958 became member of the Bayerischen Staatsoper of Munich. In Munich he attracted attention, when in 1958 he sang in the re-opening of Cuvilliés-Theaters die Titelrolle the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro. In November 1963 he participated at Munich’s Staatsoper in the premiere of the opera Die Verlobung in San Domingo by W. Egk, in December 1969 in Aucassin und Nicolette by G. Bialas, at the Schwetzinger Festival in May 1961 in the premiere of H.W. Henze’s Elegie für junge Liebende. Big successes with appearances in Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg and in other music centres in Germany as abroad. He was estimated particularly as a Mozart interpreter, in addition, as concert and oratorio soloist.

Later Karl-Christian Kohn worked as a teacher in Munich.

Recordings: HMV-Electrola (including complete operas Don Giovanni, Oedipus der Tyrann by C. Orff) and DGG (Don Giovanni, Arabella by R. Strauss, Doktor Faust by Ferruccio Busoni, Wozzeck by Alban Berg, Cardillac by Paul Hindemith), Memories (Kühleborn in Undine by Lortzing) and Verona (Serse by George Frideric Handel).

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2004)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2004)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Karl Forster

Bass

BWV 245

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