Erich Wenk (Bass-Baritone)

Born: 1923 - Königsberg/Ostpreußen, Germany

The musical gifts of the German bass, Erich Wenk, showed up very early, when he sang already six years in boys’ choir.

After many years of studies Erich Wenk turned for short time to the stage singing. However, he decided then to dedicate himself completely to activity on the concert podium. He started to make reputation for himself particularly by broadcast concerts, in which he performed frequently works of J.S. Bach. In 1957 he undertook a German tour together with Erna Berger, Gertrude Pitzinger and Walther Ludwig, and the quartet performed the Liebesliederwalzer of Johannes Brahms. The artist had then important successes at the Bach Festivals of Lüneburg and Heidelberg and at the Göttingen Händel Festival. During 1960-1962 he participated in the Festival Weeks of Berlin. He gave concerts in the music centres of the Europe, including Amsterdam, Basel, Bordeaux, Brussels, in the Cathedral of Chartres, in Göteborg, Copenhagen, Stockholm, in the Leipzig Thomas Church, in Madrid, Paris and Zürich. He excelled primarily as a great interpreter of J.S. Bach in his Passions and Cantatas. However, his repertoire covered in addition an abundance of works by George Frideric Handel, Haydn, Mozart, L.v. Beethoven, Verdi, Felix Mendelssohn, and in addition, compositions of modern masters. At the same time he was an important Lieder interpreter.

In 1969 Erich Wenk received a teaching job in the Musikhochschule of Köln.

Erich Wenk’s voice can be heard on many labels: on Ariola Eurodisc (Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) of J.S. Bach), on Concert Hall, Vox, L'Oiseau Lyre (Bach Cantatas), on Wergo (La Resurrezione of G.F. Handel) and other labels. On Nonesuch he sang the role of the Minister in Fidelio.

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2001)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2001); Manfred Krugmann (Photo 01, July 2011)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Hans Grischkat

Bass

BWV 232

Helmuth Rilling

Bass

BWV 45, BWV 176, BWV 201, BWV 206, BWV 215, BWV 243

Kurt Thomas

Bass

BWV 68, BWV 70, BWV 147

Max Thurn

Bass

Radio: BWV 4, BWV 16, BWV 31 [1^st], BWV 32, BWV 38, BWV 40, BWV 43, BWV 47, BWV 49, BWV 62, BWV 78, BWV 80, BWV 85, BWV 86, BWV 89, BWV 90, BWV 93, BWV 94, BWV 96, BWV 113, BWV 126, BWV 127, BWV 137, BWV 138, BWV 139, BWV 158, BWV 185, BWV 140

Fritz Werner

Bass

BWV 8, BWV 21, BWV 26, BWV 31, BWV 61, BWV 90, BWV 98, BWV 105, BWV 110, BWV 149, BWV 182

?

BWV 244

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