Gunnar Graarud
1 June 1886 Holmestrand – 6 December 1960 Stuttgart
with Rose Pauly in Wozzeck
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
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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
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In RA format
In RA format
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.
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