John Gläser
12 June 1888 Berlin – 27 May 1968 Frankfurt a. M.
He studied singing in Berlin, where he was already a member of the Hof- und Domchor. 1909/10, he sang in the chorus of the
Komische Oper in Berlin.
He made his solo debut in 1911 in Ulm, and sang at the Hoftheater in Altenburg (Thuringia) next.
In 1912, he moved to Wrocław/Breslau singing at the opera house for the next five years.
In 1917, he was hired by the opera house in Frankfurt a. M., where he sang until the end of his career.
There he took part in the world premiere of Der Schatzgräber by Schreker on January 21st, 1920: as Elis with
Hans Erl, Marta Uersfeld, Hermann Schramm, Rudolf Brinkmann, Erik Wirl, Robert vom Scheidt,
Carl Bauermann, Otto Weindel, Josef Gareis, Emma Hol, Franz Wartenberg, Arthur Simon, Hermann Schramm, Ludwig Rottenberg.
He sang in the German premiere of
Boris Godunov (1913 in Breslau as Grigorij) and Khovanshchina (1924 in Frankfurt as Golitsyn). He also took part in the world
premiere of Eros und Psyche by Lubomir Rózycki on March 10th, 1917 in Breslau.
He made guest appearances in Berlin, Munich, Vienna (not at the Staatsoper), Salzburg (Festspiele 1916 as Bacchus),
Dresden (1916 Hofoper), Hannover (1920 Opernhaus),
Stuttgart (Staatsoper), Switzerland, France, ...
In 1942, he sang his last performance in Frankfurt as Canio. He continued to teach singing at the Frankfurt conservatory, which he
had already done since 1929. In 1951, he became the president of the Genossenschaft deutscher Bühnenangehöriger until
1963.
He was married to the soprano Agnes Werninghaus (1893 – 29 June 1960 Frankfurt a. M.), who sang in Frankfurt from 1923
to 1932. She had studied with Magda Spiegel in Frankfurt. Her repertory included Freia, Lola, Nuri, ...
In John Gläser's repertory were Tamino, Don Ottavio, Walther von Stolzing, Erik,
Max, Kaiser, Jonny (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny), Palestrina, Duca, Riccardo, Radames, Gabriele Adorno, Otello, Calaf,
Sly, Dick Johnson, Vasco, Hoffmann, German, .....
Reference: Kutsch & Riemens
His voice was said, by those lucky enough to have him heard on stage, to have been one of the largest ever
recorded; the recording process, said those Gläser contemporaries, did not do him justice. Which means, since few
tenors have left such an excellent recorded legacy, that in the reality of a theater, he must have been one of the very greatest
singers of all times.
In RA format
Discography
Grammophon, Berlin, June 1919
1439s Mignon (Thomas): Wie ihre Unschuld auch 042540, 65493
1441s Bohème (Puccini): Wie eiskalt ist dies Händchen 042541
Grammophon, Berlin, September 1920
70an Faust (Gounod): Gegrüßt sei mir 042579, 65493
Parlophon, Berlin, 18 December 1926
33648 Ich hab' am Rhein einen Traum geträumt (Henning) rejected
33649 Was ist Wein? Sonnenschein! (Walter) unpublished
33650 Wie einst am Rhein (Fischer) B11000, B12021
33651 Rheingold (Fischer) B11000
Parlophon, Berlin, 7 February 1927
33649-2 Was ist Wein? Sonnenschein! (Walter) unpublished ("too loud")
33796 Wanderlied (Schumann) B11001
33797 Der Lenz (Hildach) B11001
33798 Reich' mir den perlenden Wein (Mania) B11002, B12023
Parlophon, Berlin, 8 February 1927
2-20127 Mignon (Thomas): Leb' wohl, Mignon P9084
2-20128 Alessandro Stradella (Flotow): Jungfrau Maria P9093
2-20129 Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola, rosengleich P9084
2-20130 Rigoletto (Verdi): Freundlich blick' ich P9093
Parlophon, Berlin, 3 May 1927
2-20250 Carmen (Bizet): Hier an dem Herzen P9147
2-20251 Otello (Verdi): Jeder Knabe P9125
2-20252 Mattinata (Leoncavallo) (in German) P9125
2-20253 Africaine (Meyerbeer): Land so wunderbar P9147
Parlophon, Berlin, 4 May 1927
33651-2 Rheingold (Fischer) B12021
34036 In der Pfalz (Beneš) B11002, B12023
34037 Ein rheinisches Mädchen bei rheinischem Wein (Hoppe) rejected
34038 Der Jäger Abschied (Mendelssohn) rejected ("too soft")
34039 Die Post im Walde (Schäffer) rejected ("too soft")
Parlophon, Berlin, 17 January 1928
2-20571 Freischütz (Weber): Nein, länger trag' ich nicht P9816, P9353
2-20572 Freischütz (Weber): Jetzt ist wohl ihr Fenster offen P9816, P9353
2-20573 Zauberflöte (Mozart): Dies Bildnis P9828, P9354, O-7850
2-20574 Trovatore (Verdi): Daß nur für mich dein Herz erbebt P9815, O-7799
2-20575 Evangelimann (Kienzl): Selig sind P9828, P9354
Parlophon, Berlin, 18 January 1928
34037-2 Ein rheinisches Mädchen bei rheinischem Wein (Hoppe) unpublished
Parlophon, Berlin, 19 January 1928
2-20576 Trovatore (Verdi): Miserere (w. Seinemeyer & chorus) (in German) unpublished
2-20576-2 d:o P9815, P9637, O-7799
Parlophon, Berlin, 1 November 1928
2-21046 Mignon (Thomas): Wie ihre Unschuld auch unpublished
2-21047 Fliegender Holländer (Wagner): Willst jenes Tags P9352, O-7850
2-21048 Zar und Zimmermann (Lortzing): Lebe wohl, mein flandrisch' Mädchen unpublished
Parlophon, Berlin, 2 November 1928
33796-2 Wanderlied (Schumann) B12022
33797-2 Der Lenz (Hildach) B12022
36588 Trovatore (Verdi): Einsam steh' ich unpublished
2-21051 Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Fanget an! P9352
Parlophon, Berlin, 22 May 1929
37489 Waidmanns Heil (Mozart) B12168
37490 Des Försters Töchterlein (Kücken) B12168
37491 Die Gläser gefüllt (Kistenmacher) Odeon O-11923
Parlophon, Berlin, 24 May 1929
37501 Tosca (Puccini): Und es blitzten die Sterne B12148, B12170
37502 Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Lasset sie glauben B48018
37511 Otello (Verdi): Du! Verräter! Weiche! B12170
37512 Nicht alle Tage leuchtet hell die Sonne (Czernik) B12169, Odeon O-11923
2-21443 Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend P9513
Derby, Berlin, 25 May 1929
Lb222-2 Zar und Zimmermann (Lortzing): Lebe wohl, mein flandrisch Mädchen 5576
Lb223-2 Martha (Flotow): Ach so fromm 5576
Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft, Berlin, 1 January 1930
142 Carmen (Bizet): Tanzen will ich zu Eurer Ehr' (w. Gentner-Fischer) 142
143 Carmen (Bizet): Hier an dem Herzen 143
Parlophon, Berlin, 30 April 1930
2-21694 Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd rejected
Parlophon, Berlin, 28 May 1930
38524 Tosca (Puccini): Wie sich die Bilder gleichen B48018
38525 Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Leb wohl, mein Blütenreich unpublished
38525-2 d:o unpublished
2-21717 Fliegender Holländer (Wagner): Mit Gewitter und Sturm unpublished
2-21718 Lohengrin (Wagner): In fernem Land unpublished
2-21719 Faust (Gounod): Es ist schon spät (w. Bettendorf) P9549, Odeon O-6885
2-21720 Faust (Gounod): O Mondenschein (w. Bettendorf) P9549, Odeon O-6885
Parlophon, Berlin, 30 May 1930
2-21694-2 Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd P9513
Parlophon, Berlin, 3 October 1932
133625 Traviata (Verdi): Ach, ihres Auges Zauberblick destroyed
133626 Prodaná nevěsta (Smetana): Es muss gelingen unpublished
133627 Traviata (Verdi): Auf, schlürfet in durstigen Zügen (w. I. Hermann) B48260, Odeon O-25086
133627-2 d:o unpublished
133628 Ballo in maschera (Verdi): O sag, wenn ich fahr' (w. Petzet) B48260, Odeon O-25086
133628-2 d:o unpublished
Parlophon, Berlin, 5 October 1932
133629 Ständchen (R. Strauss) B48246, Odeon O-25154
133630 Zueignung (R. Strauss) B48246, Odeon O-25154
133630-2 d:o unpublished
133631 Der lustige Krieg (Strauss): Sag ja unpublished
133632 Die Toni aus Wien (Steffan): Zwei Augen, so betörend wie deine unpublished
Source for the discography the excellent 78opera.com website (defunct); additions from Gesellschaft
für historische Tonträger, Wien
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