Born: April 8, 1937 - Leipzig, Germany

The German bass, Hermann Christian Polster, is the son of the well-known Leipzig's concert singer and singing teacher Fritz Polster, by whom he received also his first training. He was first, already as a boy, member of the Kreuzchor Dresden. His voice was trained for solo singing at the University of Leipzig by Besseler.

Hermann Christian Polster began his concert career in Leipzig and became soon an high-estimated Bach interpreter. Particularly he sang together with the famous Thomanerchor Leipzig, where his singing pedagogue was active for many years. His successful concert tours brought him to the centers of the music life in Eastern and Western Europe. Altough the works of J.S. Bach were in the focal point of his artistic activity, thereby his repertoire was exhausted by far. Beside music works from the Baroque era, the Classical and the Romantic periods, he also sang modern compositions. In addition he was an estimated Lieder interpreter. He appeared as concert soloist in Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt a.M., in Milan, Rome, Turin, Amsterdam (Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244)) and Halle (14^th Symphony of Shostakovich), in Tokyo and Osaka (Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) and Johannes-Passion (BWV 245), 9^th Symphony of Beethoven), in Moscow, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, in Aix en Provence, Venice, Dubrovnik and Prague (9^th Symphony of Beethoven).

Hermann Christian Polster entered the Opera House of Leipzig for the first time in 1966 as a Lord Syndham in Zar und Zimmermann by Lortzing. Since then he appeared there as a guest (occasionally also at other theatres) in different roles, including as Sarastro in Zauberflöte, as Pogner in Meistersingern and as Gremin in Eugen Onegin by Tchaikovsky. Emphasis of his artistic activity remained however that of concert and primarily of the oratorio singing.

As a pedagogue Hermann Christian Polster served as a Professur at the University of Leipzig. He was vice-president of the Federation of German Singing Pedagogue.

Recordings: Eterna (Missa Solemnis by Beethoven, Lieder of Shostakovich, Fidelio in the original version of 1804), DGG (Sieben Todsünden by Brecht-Weill), Eurodisc (Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) and Bach Cantatas), Philips (Eliah and Paulus by Mendelssohn, Die Kluge by C. Orff, Masses and sacred music of Mozart), HMV-Electrola (Fidelio in the original version, Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, Meistersinger, Moses und Aron by Schoenberg), Capriccio (Symphoniae Sacrae by H. Schütz), Vanguard (Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) of J.S. Bach).

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2001)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2001, April 2004), Burke Smith (October 2005)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Martin Flämig

Bass

BWV 243 [VHS]

Erhard Mauersberger

Bass

BWV 244

Max Pommer

Bass

Aria from BWV 130, BWV 245 [VHS]

Hans-Joachim Rotzsch

Bass

BWV 10, BWV 26, BWV 29, BWV 31, BWV 44, BWV 78, BWV 106, BWV 112, BWV 119, BWV 173, BWV 198, BWV 243

Peter Schreier

Bass

BWV 244

Martin Turnovsky

Bass

BWV 60

Charles de Wolff

Bass

BWV 244, BWV 245

Links to other Sites

Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig: Prof Hermann Christian Polster [German]

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