Max Proebstl (Bass)

Born: September 24, 1913 - Munich, Germany
Died: November 19, 1979

The German bass, Max Proebstl, studied in Munich with the famous bass Paul Bender, among others.

In 1941 Max Proebstl made his debut at the Stadttheater of Kaiserslautern. In 1942-1943 he sang at the Stadttheater of Augsburg, In 1943-1944 at the Theater of Dortmund. After he had been drawn during the last war years, he resumed his career in 1947-1949 at the Stadttheater of Augsburg. In 1949 he was engaged as first bass at the Bavarian State Opera Munich. He sang there for more than 25 years an abundance of roles from all ranges of the opera literature. To his gloss roles belong the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff, Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Osmin in Entführung aus dem Serail, Kezal in Verkauften Braut, Kaspar in Freischütz and Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro, and was also prominent as Wagner interpreter. He made guest appearances with the Ensemble of the Munich Opera at prominent stages all over Europe.

In 1949 Max Proebstl was at the Opera House of Zürich, in 1965 at the Wexford Festival in Ireland as a guest. In August 1957 he appeared in Munich in the premiere of the opera Die Harmonie der Welt by Paul Hindemith in the role of the Grafen Starhemberg, and in August 1960 in the premiere of Ján Cikker’s Das Spiel von Liebe und Tod.

Max Proebstl was also highly estimated for his art as a concert and oratorio singer. Thus he participated from 1961 to 1967 at the Salzburg Festivals in concerts of sacred music, among other things, in 1964 in the oratorio Christus am Ölberg by L.v. Beethoven.

Recordings: Decca (small part in Salome), DGG (Die Zaubergeige by Werner Egk, Die Frau ohne Schatten by R. Strauss, Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244)), Electrola (small part in Meistersingern), Melodram (complete recording of Feuersnot by R. Strauss from 1958), Rococo (Die Rose vom Liebesgarten by Hans Pfitzner, Notre Dame by Franz Schmidt), Cetra Opera Live (Kaspar in Freischütz), Memories (Undine by Lortzing), MMS (Mass in B minor (BWV 232) by J.S. Bach), Vox (Bach Motets), MGM (Works of J.S. Bach), Verona (Serse by George Frideric Handel).

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (April 2004)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (April 2004); Manfred Krugmann (Photos 02-12, July 2011)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Günther Ramin

Bass

BWV 232

Karl Richter

Bass

BWV 244 [1^st]

Links to other Sites