Gunnar Graarud

1 June 1886 Holmestrand – 6 December 1960 Stuttgart

Picture of Gunnar Graarud with Rose Pauly in Wozzeck
with Rose Pauly in Wozzeck

Picture of Gunnar Graarud
Gunnar Graarud to SS-Standartenführer Globocnik in Vienna
Provided by Daniele Godor

Gunnar Graarud asks the SS leader for permission to keep his party membership, which he had been asked to give up because he wanted to remain a Norwegian citizen. He writes:

"It's well known that, during my time at the Staatsoper in 1933, I got into a lot of trouble because I supported the Führer openly. My contract there was not renewed because, as they said, I was a 'Nazi'. [...] Already in 1933, I declared myself openly a national socialist when asked about my attitude. Therefore, I hereby kindly ask you to keep me as a party member, as a sign of legitimation of my life's work which, to my last breath, will be dedicated entirely to Germany and the Führer.
Heil Hitler!
Gunnar Graarud
Debut in 1919 in Kaiserslautern, afterwards in Mannheim, at the Berlin Volksoper, and in Hamburg. At the Bayreuth festival from 1927 on (Siegmund, Siegfried, Tristan and Parsifal). 1928 to 1937 at the Staatsoper Vienna (though he performed very, very rarely there in the last few years, and his most prominent public "appearance" in those late years was his enthusiastic appraisal of the Nazi takeover in 1938, widely published – along with similar testimonies by other artists – in the Austrian newspapers). Sang as a guest at Covent Garden, London, at the Opéra in Paris, and at the Scala di Milano, among other places. One of the truly great heldentenors.
Gunnar Graarud sings Tristan und Isolde: O sink hernieder, with Nanny Larsén-Todsen and Anny Helm
In RA format

Gunnar Graarud sings Tristan und Isolde: Wohin nun Tristan scheidet, with Nanny Larsén-Todsen

Gunnar Graarud sings Die Walküre: Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond
In RA format

Gunnar Graarud sings Die Walküre: Siegmund heiß' ich
In RA format
I wish to thank Tom Silverbörg for the recording (Wohin nun Tristan scheidet).
I wish to thank Daniele Godor for the picture (bottom) and recording (Siegmund heiß' ich)
Discography

Grammophon/Polydor,  Berlin 1922 
1457ar   Pour un baiser (Tosti)                                                 62396 (F2115)
1458ar   Ideale (Tosti)                                                         62376 (J2002)
1459ar   Mattinata (Tosti)                                                      62396 (J2004)
1460ar   La serenata (Tosti)                                                    62376 (J2003)

Grammophon/Polydor,  Berlin/Wien (ac) 
         Letzter Frühling (Grieg)                                               62500
         Im Kahne (Grieg)                                                       62500
         Zur Johannisnacht (Grieg)                                              62501
         Komm wir wandeln zusammen (Cornelius)                                  62501
         Murmelndes Lüftchen (Jensen)                                           62502
         O lass dich halten, goldne Stunde (Jensen)                             62502
         Ich denke oft ans blaue Meer (Weingartner)                             62503
         Des Mondes Silber rinnt (Kjerulf)                                      62503
         En drøm (Grieg)                                                        62504
         En svane (Grieg)                                                       62504
         Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond                    62510
3629½ar  Fidelio (Beethoven): In des Lebens Frühlingstagen                      62510
         Otello (Verdi): Niun mi tema                                           66133, 66215
         Don Giovanni (Mozart): Tränen vom Freunde getrocknet                   66133
 
Columbia,  Bayreuth  1928
excerpts from Tristan und Isolde, with Nanny Larsén-Todsen, Anny Helm and Rudolf Bockelmann

Parlophon
37528    Walküre (Wagner): Siegmund heiß' ich                                   P4471
37529    Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond                    P4471

HMV, Wien 1929-07-04
BA135-1  Sidste reis, Op 17 No 2 (Alnaes)                                       X3278 (30-1392)
BA135-2  Sidste reis, Op 17 No 2 (Alnaes)                                       unpublished
BA136-1  Dei gamle fjell i Syningom (Sinding)                                   X3278 (30-1393)
BA136-2  Dei gamle fjell i Syningom (Sinding)                                   unpublished
BA137-1  En drøm (Grieg)                                                        unpublished
BA137-2  En drøm (Grieg)                                                        X3696 (30-5917)
BA138-1  Du grønne glitrende tre (Weyse)                                        unpublished
BA138-2  Du grønne glitrende tre (Weyse)                                        X3245 (30-1141), AL2140
BA139-1  Jeg synger julekvad (trad)                                             X3245 (30-1140), AL2140
BA139-2  Jeg synger julekvad (trad)                                             unpublished

HMV, Wien 1929-07-08
BA144-1  Symra (Moritz Ulfrstad)                                                unpublished
BA144-2  Symra (Moritz Ulfrstad                                                 X3304 (30-1915)
BA145-1  Hesperia (V H Sievers - Trygve Torjussen)                              X3304 (30-1914)
BA145-2  Hesperia (V H Sievers - Trygve Torjussen)                              unpublished
BA146-1  Svend Herlufsens ord (David Monrad Johansen)                           unpublished
BA146-2  Svend Herlufsens ord (David Monrad Johansen)                           X3299 (30-1768)
BA147-1  Di vise männen (Gotane, Sverig - Sverre Jordan)                        X3299 (30-1769)
BA147-2  Di vise männen (Gotane, Sverig - Sverre Jordan)                        unpublished
BA148-1  Silkesko over gylden lest (I P Jacobsen – A Wiklund)                   unpublished
BA148-2  Silkesko over gylden lest (I P Jacobsen – A Wiklund)                   unpublished

HMV, Wien 1931-01-05
0L10     Silkesko over gylden lest (I P Jacobsen – A Wiklund)
Source for the discography the alas defunct website 78opera.com.

Go Home