Fritz Birrenkoven

28 March 1868 – 30 August 1939 Munich

The middle of the Birrenkoven tenor brothers studied voice in Düsseldorf, where he also made his debut as Max in 1897. Apart from a few main roles (Lyonel, Hoffmann), he sang mostly comprimario parts: Mime, David, Jaquino, Bardolfo, Goro...

He sang in Hamburg (1898–1900), Danzig (1900/01), Darmstadt (1901–04), Nationaltheater Berlin (1904/05), Elberfeld (1905–13), and finally in Munich (1913–25).

Reference: Kutsch & Riemens

Discography

Zonophone, Berlin, September 1907
3271r Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): O Colombina 		X-22648
3272r Trennung (Marschner) 				X-22649

Fritz Birrenkoven is obviously identical with the otherwise mysterious "Gottfried" 
Birrenkoven, who was a member of the male quartet "Rostsches Solo-Quartett", and 
made about 20 records with that group, plus one duet record with the quartet's founder:

Dacapo, Köln, 1908
2253  Flüsterndes Silber, rauschende Welle (Melchert), w. Carl Rost
2254  Still wie die Nacht (Bohm), w. Carl Rost

Rostsches Solo-Quartett sings Die Loreley (Silcher)

Fritz Birrenkoven, 1st tenor; Hugo Heydenbluth, 2nd tenor; Carl Rost, bass-baritone; Carl Roeseling, bass

Go Home