Fritz Uhl
Encyclopedia
Fritz Uhl was an Austrian operatic tenor
, particularly associated with Wagner roles.
Born in Matzleinsdorf, near Vienna
, he studied in Vienna with Elisabeth Radó
, and while still a student toured Holland with an operetta troup. He made his operatic debut in Vienna, as Gounod's Faust
in 1952, and then sang in Graz
(1952-53), in Luzern (1953-54), in Oberhausen
(1954-56), in Wuppertal
(1956-58). In 1957, he began making guest appearances at the Munich State Opera, the Vienna State Opera
, also appearing at the Salzburg Festival
and the Bayreuth Festival
.
He began his career by singing lyric roles and lighter Wagner roles such as Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, Loge in Rheingold
, First Knight in Parsifal
, and gradually moved into heldentenor roles such as Tristan
, Siegmund
, Stolzing, Florestan
, Herod
, etc.
He sang widely in Europe, appearing at the Paris Opéra
, La Monnaie
in Brussels, the Liceo in Barcelona, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
, the Royal Opera House
in London, etc.
He was also invited at the San Francisco Opera
and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
He took part in the creation of Jan Cikker
's Das Spiel von Liebe und Tod in 1969, and in Heinrich Sutermeister
's Le roi Béranger in 1985, both in Munich.
A fortright singer with a fine voice, he is best known for his recording of Tristan und Isolde
, opposite Birgit Nilsson
, under Georg Solti
.
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 Wagner roles.
Born in Matzleinsdorf, near Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, he studied in Vienna with Elisabeth Radó
Elisabeth Rado
Elisabeth Radó was a Yugoslavian singer and singing teacher.Born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which in the days before WWI was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
, and while still a student toured Holland with an operetta troup. He made his operatic debut in Vienna, as Gounod's Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
in 1952, and then sang in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
(1952-53), in Luzern (1953-54), in Oberhausen
Oberhausen
Oberhausen is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen . The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It is also well known for the...
(1954-56), in Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
(1956-58). In 1957, he began making guest appearances at the Munich State Opera, the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
, also appearing at the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
and the Bayreuth Festival
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
.
He began his career by singing lyric roles and lighter Wagner roles such as Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, Loge in Rheingold
Rheingold
Rheingold may refer to:* Rheingold, mystic treasure mentioned in the Nibelungenlied* Das Rheingold,a 1869 opera by Richard Wagner, based on the mystic treasure* Rheingold , 2003* Rheingold...
, First Knight in Parsifal
Parsifal
Parsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
, and gradually moved into heldentenor roles such as Tristan
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
, Siegmund
Die Walküre
Die Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
, Stolzing, Florestan
Fidelio
Fidelio is a German opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto is by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly which had been used for the 1798 opera Léonore, ou L’amour conjugal by Pierre Gaveaux, and for the 1804 opera Leonora...
, Herod
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.
He sang widely in Europe, appearing at the Paris Opéra
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
, La Monnaie
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
in Brussels, the Liceo in Barcelona, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is an annual opera festival which was founded in April 1933 by conductor Vittorio Gui with the aim of presenting contemporary and forgotten operas in visually dramatic productions. It was the first music festival in Italy. The first opera presented was Verdi's early...
, the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
in London, etc.
He was also invited at the San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
He took part in the creation of Jan Cikker
Ján Cikker
Ján Cikker was a Slovak composer, a leading exponent of modern Slovak classical music. He was awarded the title National Artist in Slovakia, the Herder Prize and the UNESCO Prize .-Life:...
's Das Spiel von Liebe und Tod in 1969, and in Heinrich Sutermeister
Heinrich Sutermeister
Heinrich Sutermeister was a Swiss opera composer.-Life and career:During the early 1930s he was a student at the Akademie der Tonkunst in Munich where Carl Orff was his teacher and Orff remained a powerful influence on his music. Returning to Switzerland in the mid 1930s, he devoted his life to...
's Le roi Béranger in 1985, both in Munich.
A fortright singer with a fine voice, he is best known for his recording of Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
, opposite Birgit Nilsson
Birgit Nilsson
right|thumb|Nilsson in 1948.Birgit Nilsson was a celebrated Swedish dramatic soprano who specialized in operatic and symphonic works...
, under Georg Solti
Georg Solti
Sir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his...
.