Born: November 22, 1902 - Usti nad Labem (German: Aussig), Czech Republic
Died: July 10, 1996 - Cologne, Germany |
The bass Gerhard Gröschel received very thoroughly training, first in his hometown Aussig, then in Salzburg and Berlin.
Gerhard Gröschel first appeared as concert and oratorio singer, an activity, which he continued during his entire career. His debut on the stage was only 1936 at the Thüringischen Landestheater Gera as Basilio in the Il Barbiere di Siviglia. There he remained until 1938 and sang then from 1938 to 1941 at the Landestheater Darmstadt, since 1941 for thirty years (until 1971) at the Opera House of Köln, where he found his actual artistic homeland and was very popular at the public. He appeared there also in 1948 in the premiere of the opera Verkündigung by Walter Braunfels.
To Gerhard Gröschel’s stage roles belong: Sarastro in Zauberflöte, Rocco in the Fidelio, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Daland in the Fliegenden Holländer, King Heinrich in Lohengrin, Seneca in Monteverdi’s Incoronazione di Poppea, Gremin in the Eugen Onegin by Tchaikovsky and Tomsky in his Pique Dame, Banquo in Verdi’s Macbeth and Pater Guardian in La forza del destino. In 1972 he was appointed honour member Köln Opera House.
Gerhard Gröschel appeared also in the concert halls, in broadcast and in the television productions.
Recordings: Wergo (Die Soldaten'by B.A. Zimmermann), DGG (Magnificat (BWV 243) by J.S. Bach), Cetra Opera Live (Publio in La Clemenza di Tito by Mozart, from Westdeutschen Rundfunks Köln of 1955 under Joseph Keilberth). |