Wie Todesahnung Dämmrung deckt die Lande / O du mein holder Abendstern – Heinrich Schlusnus, 1935

Tannhäuser from Richard Wagner




Wie Todesahnung Dämm'rung deckt die Lande … O du, mein holder Abendstern

Wolframs Szene und Lied
an den Abendstern, nachdem er Elisabeths Entschluss zu sterben erkannt hat,
im dritten Aufzug von Wagners Tannhäuser.

Heinrich Schlusnus

1888-1952
Baritone

Heinrich Schlusnus (August 6, 1888 - June 18, 1952) was Germany's foremost lyric baritone of the period between World War One and World War Two.

A native of Braubach, Schlusnus studied with voice teachers in Berlin and Frankfurt before making his debut at the Hamburg opera in 1915. Schlusnus sang at Nuremberg from 1915 to 1917 and at the prestigious Berlin State Opera from 1917 until 1951. He was engaged by the Chicago Opera for its 1927-28 season and appeared at the Bayreuth Festival in 1933.

During his tenure at Berlin, Schlusnus established himself as his country's greatest performer of Verdi's baritone roles and, according to most critics, no subsequent German baritone has matched his supremacy in this field. Schlusnus excelled in German opera parts, too, and earned critical renown as a concert artist and lieder singer despite stiff competition from rival baritones such as Herbert Janssen, Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender, Gerhard Hüsch, Karl Hammes, Rudolf Bockelmann and Karl Schmitt-Walter.

By all accounts, Schlusnus was not a magnetic actor like his fellow Verdians Lawrence Tibbett or Tito Gobbi; but, by way of compensation, he was blessed with an exceedingly beautiful high baritone voice and an impeccable legato style of singing to go with it. Schlusnus's polished technique, coupled with the prudent management of his vocal resources, enabled him to enjoy an unusually long stage career. Schlusnus died in Frankfurt-am-Main not long after retiring from the stage.

Weitere Aufnahmen von Heinrich Schlusnus