Lebendige Vergangenheit
Fritzi Jokl
Preiser Records 89191
Preiser LP K2082

2000
Parlophones recorded by  between 1924 AND 1928
She was born in Vienna and showed an early interest in music. One of her teachers was Mrs. Rosenthal-Ranner. She made her debut at the Frankfurt Opera where she stayed for five years. She was given all the boys’ roles in the German opera repertoire, but soon took over Rosina, Cherubino, Oscar, Urbain, Blondchen and Sophie. Her Sophie was particularly admired by public and critics. Within a short time she became one of the most promising young singers in Germany. She spent two seasons at the Opera of Darmstadt,  went for further two seasons to the Volksoper Berlin, where she appeared as Konstanze, Norina and Traviata. However, the Volksoper could not hold its own against the competition of the other Berlin opera houses and was forced to close. Fritzi Jokl became a special favorite of the opera audiences in Cologne. A guest appearance had taken her to Covent Garden, where she sang Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos and Zerbinetta (as an understudy to Maria Ivogün). She was invited to the Opera of Munich, where she gained a remarkable success as Zerbinetta, the performance was conducted by the composer himself. She was immediately engaged for the Munich Festival, marking up a series of triumphs. Under Knappertsbusch’s baton she sang Susanna and Despina. Her repertory further included Gilda, Nedda, Olympia, Marzelline and Rosalinde. She took part in the revival of the composer Alessandro Stradella. Karl Böhm was her conductor in many performances. In 1932 Fritzi Jokl was invited by Otto Klemperer to join the Kroll Oper in Berlin, but political changes had set in. Klemperer had to leave and the soprano was not allowed to begin her engagement. A few special theatres continued to accept Jewish artists and Jewish audiences (Jüdischer Kulturbund), but in 1937 she was forced to leave Germany and emigrated to the United States. She got married to the author and journalist Jack Siegel, but had no chance to continue her singing career. At the Metropolitan Fritzi Jokl’s roles were the property of Lily Pons and Bidù Sayão, and the Met management was not willing to take her under contract. Her voice was then heard only in private circles.
Fritzi JOKL (1895-1974)
  1. George Frideric Handel : L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (Pastoral Ode), oratorio, HWV 55 Excerpt Parlophon P2244
  2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Il rè pastore, opera, K. 208 Dein bin ich Parlophon P2244
  3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 o säume länger nicht Parlophon P1880
  4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620 Der Hölle Rache kocht Parlophon E10313
  5. Gioachino Rossini : Il barbière di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera Frag'ich mein beklomm nes Herz Parlophon P2167/E10461
  6. Gaetano Donizetti : Don Pasquale, opera Ich kenn' den tiefen Zauber Parlophon E10884
  7. Friedrich von Flotow :  Alessandro Stradella, opera Seid meiner Wonne stille Zeugen Parlophon E10884
  8. Friedrich von Flotow : Martha, opera Letzte Rose Parlophon P1817
  9. Giacomo Meyerbeer : Les Huguenots, grand opera in 5 acts Ihr edlen herrn allhier Parlophon P1817/E10362
  10. Giuseppe Verdi : Un ballo in maschera, opera Mit starrem Angesicht Parlophon P2001
  11. Giuseppe Verdi : Un ballo in maschera, opera Lasst ab mit Fragen Parlophon P2001
  12. Ambroise Thomas  : Mignon, opera in 3 acts Titania ist herabgestiegen Parlophon P2001
  13. Giacomo Meyerbeer : Dinorah (Le pardon de Ploërmel), comic opera in 3 acts Du liechter Schatten an meiner Seite Parlophon P2257
  14. Johann II Strauss : Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring), waltz for orchestra (with voice ad lib), Op. 410 (RV 410) Parlophon P2257

Maria GERHART (1896-1975).

  1. Carl Maria von Weber : Abu Hassan, opera, J. 106 Wird Philomele trauern
  2. Carl Maria von Weber : Abu Hassan, opera, J. 106 Hier liegt, welch' martervolles Los
  3. Giuseppe Verdi : Rigoletto, opera Teurer Name, dessen Klang
  4. Richard Strauss : Ariadne auf Naxos, opera, Op. 60-II (TrV 228a) (revised version) Grossmächtige Prinzessin