Hans Rössling (17 December 1927 – 6 July 2013) was a German operatic bass.
Life
editRössling grew up in Mannheim-Sandhofen, trained as a municipal civil servant and took singing lessons with Heinrich Hölzlin. In 1950, he appeared for the first time in a small role in the Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg as a guest at the Mannheim National Theatre. After participating in the Nuremberg singing competition "Meistersinger-Wettstreit" in 1952, he was engaged at the Staatsoper Stuttgart.[1] In 1953, he moved to the Mannheim National Theatre. The then artistic director Hans Schüler had noted at the audition: "Nice guy with a sense of humour, tall, slim, even bigger voice as he matured".[2] He was a member of the ensemble of the National Theatre for almost four decades until his retirement in 1990. In 1979, Herbert Meyer described him as "always a reliable support in the second row of basses, occasionally in leading roles".[3] After 1990, numerous guest appearances in Mannheim followed, but in 1995 he made his final stage farewell. Rössling last lived in Heddesheim.[1] At his death in Mannheim aged 85, he left behind his wife and two children.[4][5]
Honours
editIn 1988, Rössling was appointed a Baden-Württemberg Kammersänger in recognition of his artistic merits and his services as a staff representative. In 1991, he became honorary member of the Mannheim National Theatre.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Waltraud Brunst: "Von Anfang an ein Meistersinger", Mannheimer Morgen, 9 July 2013
- ^ Waltraud Brunst: "Netter Kerl mit großer Stimme", Mannheimer Morgen, 17 December 2012
- ^ Herbert Meyer: Das Nationaltheater Mannheim 1929–1979. BI-Wissenschaftsverlag, Mannheim 1979, ISBN 3-411-01563-2, p. 160
- ^ "Obituary", July 2013, Mannheimer Morgen
- ^ Kutsch, K.-J.; Riemens, Leo (2012). "Rössling, Hans". Großes Sängerlexikon (in German) (4th ed.). Walter de Gruyter. p. 3978. ISBN 978-3-59-844088-5.
External links
edit- Hans Rössling discography at Discogs
