Crass, Franz

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Crass, Franz

CraSS, Franz , German bass-baritone; b. Wipperfurth, Feb. 9, 1928. He was a student of Glettenberg at the Cologne Hochschule für Musik. In 1954 he made his operatic debut as Amonasro in Krefeld, and then sang in Hannover (1956–62), Bayreuth (1959–73), and Cologne (1962–64). He was a member of the Hamburg State Opera (from 1964), and also appeared at the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, at La Scala in Milan, and at Covent Garden in London. He was particularly known for his roles in operas by Mozart and Wagner, as well as for his appearances as a concert artist.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire