Feinhals, Fritz

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Feinhals, Fritz

Feinhals, Fritz, distinguished German baritone; b. Cologne, Dec. 4, 1869; d. Munich, Aug. 30, 1940. He studied in Milan and Padua. He made his operatic debut in Essen in 1895 as Silvio, and in 1898 he joined the Munich Court (later State) Opera, where he remained until his retirement in 1927. On Nov. 18, 1908, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in N.Y. as Wotan in Die Walkiire, but was on its roster for only the 1908–09 season. He also made appearances in London, Paris, and Vienna. He was a Wagnerian singer par excellence. His portrayal of Wotan was imperious in its power, and he was also successful in the role of Hans Sachs. He also excelled in operas by Mozart and Verdi.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire