Hermann Simberg

Information on Simberg's life is somewhat sketchy. He was born Chaim Josel Zymberg; sources say either in 1901 or in 1905. I think both are wrong since he made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic as early as 1921, so he should have been born earlier than 1901. Kutsch and Riemens claim he studied voice in Italy, which seems possible, though his Italian is far from perfect (but in a 1940 Favorite in Cork, which was otherwise sung in English, Simberg sang in Italian, although he was living in London at the time; and his only studio recording is in Italian, which was quite unusual for Berlin in 1922).

He was at the Städtische Oper Berlin for several years, but being Jewish, he left Germany in 1934 and went to Italy, where he appeared in Milano, Rome and Naples. In 1936, he settled in England, where he was primarily a concert and radio singer. During World War II, he did a lot of charity concerts for a relief fund for the Polish population.

After the war, he toured Denmark, Switzerland and Israel, and continued to sing in Great Britain. His farewell was a 1951 concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

His repertory included Duca, Alfredo, Riccardo, Don Carlo, Ernesto, Nemorino, Rodolfo, Cavaradossi, Pinkerton, Don José, Hoffmann, Gounod's Faust, Jeník and Lenskij.

Reference 1: Kutsch & Riemens; reference 2: The London Gazette, 13 April 1948; reference 3; reference 4: Peter Muck, Einhundert Jahre Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester, Tutzing 1982

Discography

Grammophon/Polydor, Berlin, October 1922
1950ar	Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Ch'ella mi creda		unpublished

I wish to thank Richard J Venezia for the recording.