Fritz Vogelstrom (Tenor) (Westfalen 1882 - Dresden 1963)

                                                                 Lohengrin

                                                               Lohengrin

He undertook is first small part at the age of 14 in Robert und Bertam as "Schildwache" at the Herforder Stadttheater. In 1898, Vogelstrom joined a Männerquartett "Sänger von Finsterwalde". When performing with the group, he was heard by the director of the Hamburg Opera who proposed him a contract. However, Vogelstrom was drafted at that time and instead of going to Hamburg, he went to Hannover. Vogelstrom had an accident and was released fom the service. He joined another quartett "Rheinische Männerquartett" in Manheim. The director of the Mannheim Opera August Basserman heard him and asked him to audition . His audition was on 23 November 1903 and has a result got 5 year contract. His first parts in Mannheim were Max, Tamino, Alessandro Stradella and the Seamann (''Tristan und Isolde'').The number one Heldentenor of the Mannheim Opera Friedrich Carlén died and that that was Vogelstrom’s big break, He added to his repertory Lohengrin, Stolzing, Siegfried, Tristan. In 1915, Vogelstrom married the s. lilly Hafgren-Waag, with whom he recorded for Odeon. For his last performance in Mannhein, Vogelstrom choosed Pedro. Vogelstrom went on to Dresden. He was warmly welcomed in Dresdenbecause their three helden tenors Burrian, von Bary and Sembach where not able to sing for different reasons. He made his debut in Dresden as Max. There, Vogelstrom added to his repertory Bacchus, Hans Kraft (''Bärenhäuter''), Kaiser, Gomella (''Sonnenflammen'') and a part in Hand und Herz. He added also Tannhäuser, Parsifal, Canio/turiddu (same evening where he received 42 curtain calls), Herodes, Rienzi,..etc Vogelstrom made many guest appearances, for example: 1908, He sang in Dresden, before becoming a member of the troupe, replacing Burrian in ''Tiefland'', followed by ''Carmen'' and ''La Boheme''. - 1909, Vogelstrom made his debut in Bayreuth as Froh on July 25. He was supposed to sing Lohengrin, but behind the scene intrigues, by the wife of von Bary, made sure he did not appear. However Vogelstrom appeared as Parsifal on July 31, and August 8. In 1909 he also sang in Vienna. - 1910 Berlin (Stolzing), 1911 Nürnberg (Stolzing), München (Stolzing), Essen (Lohengrin) - 1912 Essen - 1913 Hannover (Lohengrin), Bielefeld (Lohengrin), Nürnberg (Siegfried) - 1922 Zoppot Siegfried Vogelstrom continued to sing in Dresden until 1928. He died on 25 December 1963 in Köthen, after having lost all his properties during the bombing of Dresdenwhere he lived during the war. Vogelstrom recorded for Gramophon, Odeon, Pathé, Vox, Homocord and Parlophon a total of 125 sides. Excerpts from Vogelstrom’s Repertory - ''Der Freischütz'', ''Die Zauberflöte'', ''Alessandro Stradella'', ''Tristan und Isolde'', ''Lohengrin'', ''die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'', ''die Götterdämmerung'', ''Ariadne auf Naxos'', ''Bärenhäuter'' (comp. S. Wagner), ''die Frau ohne Schatten'', ''Sonneflammen'' (comp. S. Wagner), ''Hand und Herz'' (comp. Striegler), ''La Muette de Portici'', ''Siegfried'', ''Parsifal'', ''Pagliacci'', ''La Juive'', ''Cavalleria Rusticana'', ''Salome'', ''Rienzi'', ''Tiefland'', ''Carmen'', ''La Boheme'', ''das Rheingold'', etc.

Chronology of some appearances

1903 Mannheim Opera House

1908 Dresden Opera House

1909 Bayreuth Festival

1909 ViennaOpera House

1910 BerlinOpera House
1911 Nürnberg Opera House

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon, Berlin 1910
Lohengrin (Wagner): Das süße Lied verhallt with Hafgren-Waag 99660 xB5155

Parlophon, Berlin 1910/1911
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Scherzet immer P289 P370
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Hüll dich in Tand nur P289 P371

Odeon, Berlin 1911?
Juive (Halévy): Kehr o Gott, uns'rer Vater 51069 xB5617
Boheme (Puccini): Wie eiskalt 52134 xB4832

Parlophon, Berlin 1911
Lohengrin (Wagner): Lohengrins Abschied P284 P525
Lohengrin (Wagner): Grals-Erzählung P284 P526

Parlophon, Berlin 1912-02-19
Siegfried (Wagner): Notung, Notung, neidliches Schwert P1194 2-1194