Herbert Ernst Groh

Picture of Herbert Ernst Groh

Born 1906 in Lucerne (Switzerland), died July 29th, 1982, in Norderstedt (northern Germany). Studied in Zürich and Milano, made his debut in 1927, and sang for a few years at several small and middle-sized opera theatres in Switzerland and Germany.

He was one of the first to understand the glorious possibilities that radio and film had to offer to rather small-voiced singers like him: his further career took place on the radio, on screen, on record, though with regular concert appearances; no more stage performances, though. He gained huge prominence singing everything from opera to pop songs, but primarily operetta.

His career really got along as soon as the Nazis took power and quickly expelled all Jews from (not only, but also) cultural life. It is rather well-known that Groh was being considered the "Aryanized Tauber", since this was what his record company, Odeon, and his agents designed him for; but in fact, he was at the same time the Aryanized Joseph Schmidt, whose place at the Berlin radio he took over. Groh gladly obliged to the possibilities the political circumstances presented him with, and not only did his best to capture Tauber's immense popularity, going as far as outright imitating his exiled Jewish colleague (though their voices were in fact totally different), but even sang quite a lot of Nazi songs (cf. the rare "Loblied auf die deutsche Frau", a re-texted "Hymn to the German woman" instead of the original "Hymn to the Polish woman" from Millöcker's Bettelstudent). At least, as justice would have it, this brillant Nazi career took a heavy toll from Groh, no doubt for psychological reasons – or why else should such an excellent lyrical tenor, maybe the only one ever capable of singing a faultless diminuendo on a high d (cf. his Postillon de Lonjumeau aria), why should such a talented singer lose his voice after merely 12 or 13 years of professional singing? By 1940, Groh's voice was more or less gone (he continued singing nevertheless for almost 25 more years).

Interestingly, his major post-war success was a long international operetta concert tour together with Robert Stolz as early as 1946 (and Stolz was really one of the very few fervent anti-Nazis in that strange world of theater and music). But Groh remained popular until his retirement in the mid-60s.

from: Künstler am Rundfunk. Ein Taschenalbum der Zeitschrift Der deutsche Rundfunk, Berlin 1932

Whoever tries to digitize a 78rpm Groh record, and to process the audio, will realize what an almost unique voice he had: it was so rich in overtones that even with the early recording technology, the frequencies of his voice reach higher than the hiss of the record groove. It's simply impossible to reduce the noise on a Groh record, without reducing also the spectrum of his voice. That's why you'll hear a lot of 78rpm hiss on the recordings below, and why, the other way round, Preiser's LP and CD reissues of Groh are far less than satisfying: Preiser reduced the noise, but the result is just not Groh's voice.

Herbert Ernst Groh sings Stabat mater: Cuius animam (in Italian!!!, which is probably unique)

Herbert Ernst Groh singsDer fliegende Holländer: Mit Gewitter und Sturm
In RA format

Herbert Ernst Groh singsLe postillon de Lonjumeau: Freunde, vernehmet die Geschichte

Herbert Ernst Groh sings Herbstmanöver (film): Auf der Heide blühen die letzten Rosen

Herbert Ernst Groh sings Der Bettelstudent: Ich knüpfte manche zarte Bande (Loblied auf die deutsche Frau)

Herbert Ernst Groh sings Der Rosenkavalier: Di rigori armato
In RA format

Herbert Ernst Groh sings Das Land des Lächelns: Immer nur lächeln
In RA format

I would like to thank Thomas Silverbörg for the recordings (Rosenkavalier, Land des Lächelns).
Many thanks to Anton Bieber for the Künstler am Rundfunk scan.
Groh as a baritone

Discography

Herbert Ernst Groh made over 600 recordings, including opera, operetta, songs and film music. Only his operatic output is reported her. Odeon's phonomontage discs are excluded.


I. Parlophon, Berlin, 1931
133268    Pagliacci: O Columbine 		        	  B48259-I, O-25123a
133269    Les contes d'Hoffmann: Ha, wie in meiner Seel'	  B48090-I, O-25104a
133270    Mignon: Leb' wohl, Mignon				  B48259-I, O-25123b
133271    Les contes d'Hoffmann: Hörst du es tönen		  B48090-II, O-25104b
          with Emmy Bettendorf
133333    La traviata: So hold, so reizend und engelsmild	  B48147-I, O-25105a
          with Gitta Alpár
133333-2  La traviata: So hold, so reizend und engelsmild	  UNPUBLISHED
          with Gitta Alpár
133334    La traviata: O lass' uns fliehen			  B48147-II, O-25105b
          with Gitta Alpár

II. Parlophon, Berlin, 1932
133383    Semiramide: O wär vorbei die Nacht			  B48164-II, O-25178b
133384    La favorite: Engel so rein				  B48191-I, O-25110a
133385    Le postillon de Lonjumeau: Freunde, vernehmet		  UNPUBLISHED
133385-2  Le postillon de Lonjumeau: Freunde, vernehmet		  B48244-II, O-11918b, O-25499a
133385-3  Le postillon de Lonjumeau: Freunde, vernehmet		  B48244-II, O-11918b, O-25499a
133511    Stabat mater: Cuius animam (in Italian)		  B48205-I, O-25081a
133501    Les pêcheurs de perles: Mir träumt von jener Zeit	  B48191-II, O-26890b
133593    Alessandro Stradella: Wie freundlich strahlt der Tag	  B48237-I, O-25114a
133594    Alessandro Stradella: Wie freundlich, pt. II		  B48237-II, O-25114b
133594-2  Alessandro Stradella: Wie freundlich, pt. II		  UNPUBLISHED
133596    Der Barbier von Bagdad: Sanfter Schlummer		  UNPUBLISHED
133596-0  Der Barbier von Bagdad: Sanfter Schlummer		  B48223-I, O-25106a, O-26132b
133604    Der fliegende Holländer: Mit Gewitter und Sturm	  UNPUBLISHED
133604-2  Der fliegende Holländer: Mit Gewitter und Sturm	  O-1953a
133605    La forza del destino: In dieser feierlichen Stunde	  B48229-II, O11990b, O25107b
          with Gerhard Hüsch
				 
III. Parlophon, Berlin, 1933
133682    Der Rosenkavalier: Di rigori armato			  B48244-I, O-25123a, O-26132
133724    Faust: Es ist schon spät				  O-11938a
          with Emmy Bettendorf
133725    Faust: Es ist schon spät, pt. II			  O-11938b
          with Emmy Bettendorf 
133725-2  Faust: Es ist schon spät, pt. II			  UNPUBLISHED
          with Emmy Bettendorf
133726    Der Barbier von Bagdad: O holdes Bild			  O-11954a
          with Emmy Bettendorf
133726-2  Der Barbier von Bagdad: O holdes Bild			  UNPUBLISHED
          with Emmy Bettendorf
133727    Der Barbier von Bagdad: O holdes Bild, pt. II		  O-11954b
          with Emmy Bettendorf
133727-2  Der Barbier von Bagdad: O holdes Bild, pt. II		  UNPUBLISHED
          with Emmy Bettendorf
133760    Les dragons de Villars: O schweige still		  B48279-II, O-25115a
133761    Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor: Horch, die Lerche	  B48272-I, O-11903
133764    Martha: Ach so fromm					  B48277, O-25115b, O-25499
133792    Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Morgenlich leuchtend    B48232, O-11953b
133811-1  Pagliacci: Jetzt spielen				  O-25014b, O-26890a
133811-2  Pagliacci: Jetzt spielen				  UNPUBLISHED
133811-3  Pagliacci: Jetzt spielen				  O-26890a
133812-1  Cavalleria rusticana: O Lola, rosengleich		  O-11966a
133812-2  Cavalleria rusticana: O Lola, rosengleich		  UNPUBLISHED
133813-1  Cavalleria rusticana: Schäumt der süße Wein		  O-11966b
133813-2  Cavalleria rusticana: Schäumt der süße Wein		  UNPUBLISHED

IV. Parlophon, Berlin, 1934
Be10560-1 Aida: Holde Aida					  UNPUBLISHED
Be10650-2 Aida: Holde Aida					  O-25014a
Be10650-3 Aida: Holde Aida					  UNPUBLISHED
133811-3  Cavalleria rusticana: O Lola, rosengleich		  UNPUBLISHED? O-26890?
133811-4  Cavalleria rusticana: O Lola, rosengleich		  UNPUBLISHED

V. Odeon, Berlin, 1935
Be11193-1 Madama Butterfly: Mädchen, in deinen Augen		  O-25627a
          with Maria Cebotari
Be11193-2 Madama Butterfly: Mädchen, in deinen Augen		  UNPUBLISHED
          with Maria Cebotari 
Be11194-1 Madama Butterfly: Mädchen, in deinen Augen, pt. II	  O-25627B
          with Maria Cebotari 
Be11194-2 Madama Butterfly: Mädchen, in deinen Augen, pt. II	  UNPUBLISHED
          with Maria Cebotari 

VI. Odeon, Berlin, 1936
xxB8584-1 Die Zauberflöte: Dies Bildnis				  O-6990a
xxB8584-2 Die Zauberflöte: Dies Bildnis				  UNPUBLISHED
xxB8585-1 Die Entführung aus dem Serail: O wie ängstlich	  O-6990b
xxB8585-2 Die Entführung aus dem Serail: O wie ängstlich	  UNPUBLISHED
Be11391-1 Serse: Ombra mai fu					  O-25789b, O-4644
Be11391-2 Serse: Ombra mai fu					  UNPUBLISHED

VI. Odeon, Berlin, 1937
Be11715   Der Evangelimann: Selig sind, die Verfolgung leiden	  O-4758a, O-4644

VII. Odeon, Berlin 1938
Be12198   Undine: Vater, Mutter, Schwestern, Brüder		  O-26254a
Be12199   Der Trompeter von Säckingen: Behüt' dich Gott		  O-26254b

VIII. Odeon, Berlin, 1939
Be12415   Sadko: Die Südsee birgt in tiefen Felsenhöhlen	  O-26335a
Be12426   Der Kuhreigen: Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz		  UNPUBLISHED
xxB8681   Der Kuhreigen: Zu Strassburg auf der Schanz		  O-7909a, O-3612a
xxB8682   Evgenij Onegin: Wohin, wohin seid ihr entschwunden	  O-7909b

IX. Odeon, Berlin, 1941
xxB8782-1 Der Kuhreigen: Lug, Dursel, lug			  O-7971b, O-3612b
xxB8782-2 Der Kuhreigen: Lug, Dursel, lug			  UNPUBLISHED
xxB8783-1 Zar und Zimmermann: Lebe wohl, mein flandrisch' Mädchen UNPUBLISHED
xxB8783-2 Zar und Zimmermann: Lebe wohl, mein flandrisch' Mädchen O-7971a
xxB8783-3 Zar und Zimmermann: Lebe wohl, mein flandrisch' Mädchen UNPUBLISHED

X. Viennaphon (LP)
	  Carmen (excerpts)					  4005
	  with Helga Pilarczyk, Ernst Krukowski, Ruth-Margret 
	  Pütz and others
	  orchestra and chorus of the Städtische Oper Berlin
	  conductor: Richard Kraus
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