Nissen, Hans Hermann

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Nissen, Hans Hermann

Nissen, Hans Hermann, distinguished German bass-baritone; b. Zippnow, near Marienwerder, West Prussia, May 20, 1893; d. Munich, March 28, 1980. He studied with Julius von Raatz-Brickmann in Berlin, where he made his concert debut (1920); then made his operatic debut as the Caliph in Der Barbier von Bagdad at the Berlin Volksoper (1924); subsequently joined the Bavarian State Opera in Munich (1925). In 1930 he went to the U.S., where he was a member of the Chicago Civic Opera (until 1932); on Nov. 23, 1938, he made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in N.Y. as Wotan and remained with it for a season. He then rejoined the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, retiring in 1967. He remained in Munich as a voice teacher.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire