Loading AI tools
Herbert Alsen (sometimes Ahlsen) (12 October 1906 – 25 October 1978[1] was a German operatic bass of formidable volume and stature.[2]
Alsen debuted as Rocco in Fidelio in Westfalen. In 1936, he performed as the Commendatore in Mozart's Don Giovanni under Bruno Walter, and as Pogner the goldsmith in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg under Arturo Toscanini. Basing his career in Vienna, he went on to play all the great Wagner bass roles, including Gurnemanz, Hunding, Fafner, King Marke and Hagen, and more than forty roles by other composers. He sang at the Metropolitan Opera in the 1938–9 season. He retired in 1958.
Recordings are available of his Hunding, Pogner, and Fafner; also Rocco, Banco, Commendatore (opposite Ezio Pinza), Sarastro, and Osmin (opposite Elisabeth Schwarzkopf). An anthology CD is also available. There are no published recordings of his Hagen.
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
