Ludwig Hofmann (14 January 1891 inFrankfurt am Main – 28 December 1963 in Frankfurt am Main)[1] was a Germanopera singer (bass), who from the late 1920s obtained worldwide recognition above all as an exponent ofWagnerian roles.[2] He worked principally in the opera houses inBerlin andVienna and in theVienna State Opera, and from 1928 to 1942 was frequently involved in theBayreuth Festivals.[3]
Growing up in Frankfurt am Main, he completed his secondary school there and embarked on the study of singing, which he undertook inMilan. From 1914 to 1918 he took part in theFirst World War. In 1918, aged 23, he made his debut as an opera singer in theBamberg Staatstheater. After that he was engaged at the Landestheater inDessau (1919–1920), at the Stadttheater inBremen (1920–1925), at theWiesbaden Staatstheater (1925–1928), at theBerlin Municipal Opera (1928–1932), at theBerlin State Opera (1932–1935) and at the Vienna State Opera (1935–1942).
From 1929 until 1936 he sang at theSalzburg Festivals. From 1930 to 1938 he had guest roles at leading opera-houses in Europe and overseas (for example atTeatro alla ScalaMilan, atCovent Garden Opera inLondon, at theThéâtre des Champs-Élysées inParis, and theMetropolitan Opera inNew York City).
After the Second World War he was able to resume his singing career through guest roles in Berlin, Brussels, London and Vienna. In 1953 he sang at the Salzburg Festival. His final stage appearance was as Wotan (Der Ring des Nibelungen) in Brussels in 1955. Thereafter he was active as a singing teacher in London.[4]
Ludwig Hofmann sang first in 1928 and later uninterruptedly from 1937 to 1942 in the Bayreuth Festivals,[5] where he alternated in roles withIvar Andrésen (1896–1940) andJosef von Manowarda (1890–1942).
Works by and about Ludwig Hofmann in theCatalogue of the German National Library.
