Franz Fehringer
Encyclopedia
Franz Fehringer was a German operatic tenor
, particularly associated with light lyric roles in the German, Italian, and French repertories.
Fehringer studied in Karlsruhe
with Jan van Gorkom and Dr. Zimmermann, and made his debut there in 1934, in the tenor part of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
, the following year he appeared in Handel
's Serse
, and later in Rodelinda. He remained in Karlsruhe until 1938, and during the war, he sang mostly in Wiesbaden
and on German radio.
After the war, he appeared in Cologne
, Frankfurt
, Hamburg
, while continuing singing on radio. He made a few guest appearances abroad, notably in Hilversum
and Paris
. Notables roles included Don Ottavio
, Almaviva, Tonio
, Hoffmann
, Hans
, Narraboth
, etc.
Fehringer was also very popular in operetta
(many recordings were made with conductor Franz Marszalek), and was an admired recitalist of lieder. Beginning in 1960, he taught at the Mainz
Musikhochschule, and later at the Heidelberg
Musikhochschule.
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, particularly associated with light lyric roles in the German, Italian, and French repertories.
Fehringer studied in Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
with Jan van Gorkom and Dr. Zimmermann, and made his debut there in 1934, in the tenor part of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
, the following year he appeared in Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's Serse
Serse
Serse is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. It was first performed in London on 15 April 1738. The Italian libretto was adapted by an unknown hand from that by Silvio Stampiglia for an earlier opera of the same name by Giovanni Bononcini in 1694...
, and later in Rodelinda. He remained in Karlsruhe until 1938, and during the war, he sang mostly in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
and on German radio.
After the war, he appeared in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, while continuing singing on radio. He made a few guest appearances abroad, notably in Hilversum
Hilversum
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called "'t Gooi", it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Notables roles included Don Ottavio
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, Almaviva, Tonio
La fille du régiment
La fille du régiment is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. It was written while the composer was living in Paris, with a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard.La figlia del reggimento, a slightly different Italian-language version , was...
, Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann is an opéra by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on short stories by E. T. A...
, Hans
The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863–66, and first performed at the...
, Narraboth
Salome (opera)
Salome is an opera in one act by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by the composer, based on Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of the French play Salomé by Oscar Wilde. Strauss dedicated the opera to his friend Sir Edgar Speyer....
, etc.
Fehringer was also very popular in operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
(many recordings were made with conductor Franz Marszalek), and was an admired recitalist of lieder. Beginning in 1960, he taught at the Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
Musikhochschule, and later at the Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
Musikhochschule.
Selected recordings
- 1948 - Rossini - Der Barbier von Sevilla - Gunther Ambrosius, Sari BarabasSari BarabasSari Barabas is a Hungarian operatic soprano, particularly associated with coloratura roles. She was born in Budapest.She planned to be a dancer, but after an injury she turned to singing...
, Franz Fehringer, Kurt Schneider, Xavier Waibel - Frankfurt Radio Chorus and Orchestra, Kurt Schroder - Cantus Classic
- 1953 - Adam - Wenn ich Konig war - Olga Moll, Maria Madlen Madsen, Franz Fehringer, Kurt Gester, Willy Hofmann - Frankfurt Radio Chorus and Orchestra, Wolfgang SawallischWolfgang SawallischWolfgang Sawallisch is a retired German conductor and pianist.-Biography:Sawallisch was born in Munich, and studied composition and pianoforte there privately: at the conclusion of the war, in 1946 he continued his studies at the Munich High School for Music and passed his final examination for...
- Relief