Fritz Soot (Tenor) (Wellersweiler, Neuenkirchen 1878 – Berlin 1965)

He studied singing with Karl Scheidemantel in Dresden and made his début there in 1908 as Tonio ‘’(La fille du régiment’’). While at Dresden he created the Italian Tenor in ‘’Der Rosenkavalier’’ (1911). He was a member of the Stuttgart Opera (1918–22), then moved to the Berlin Staatsoper, where his creations included the Drum Major in ‘’Wozzeck’’ (1925). He was also the first Berlin Laca in ‘’Jenůfa’’ (1924), Mephistopheles in ‘’Doktor Faust’’ (1927) and Babinski in ‘’Švanda the Bagpiper’’ (1929). But it was as a Richard Wagner tenor that he was best known; in 1924 and 1925 he sang Siegmund, Siegfried, Tristan, Erik and Walther at Covent Garden, and later sang Parsifal. His repertory also included Palestrina and Otello. He returned to the Berlin Staatsoper after World War II and continued to sing character roles there until 1952, taking part in the première of Paul Dessau's ‘’Die Verurteilung des Lukullus’’ (1951).

Chronology of some appearances

1908 Dresden Opera House

1918-1922 Stuttgart Opera House

1923-1952 Berlin Opera House

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Odeon, Berlin 1911-10/12

Mignon (Thomas): Leb' wohl, Mignon! X51973 xB5415

Si j'étais roi (Adam): Sie ist Prinzessin AA57009 xxB5417

Fra Diavolo (Auber): Dorina, jene Kleine X99739 xB5418

Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky): Wohin seid ihr entschwunden AA57011

Odeon, Berlin 1922

Siegfried (Wagner): Du holdes Vöglein XX80096 xxB6760

Siegfried (Wagner): Daß der mein Vater nicht ist XX80097 xxB6763

Grammophon, Berlin

Tannhäuser (Wagner): Inbrunst im Herzen B22174

Tannhäuser (Wagner): Nach Rom gelangte ich B22175

Tannhäuser (Wagner): Als ich erwachte B22318  66521

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Preislied B22319 66521