Hess, Ludwig

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Hess, Ludwig

Hess, Ludwig, German tenor and composer; b. Marburg, March 23, 1877; d. Berlin, Feb. 5, 1944. He studied singing with Vidal in Milan. He gave concerts of German lieder throughout Europe, specializing in the modern repertoire. He made a successful tour of the U.S. and Canada in 1911, and conducted a choral society in Königsberg (1917–20). He then settled in Berlin. He wrote the operas Abu und Nu (Danzig, 1919), Vor Edens Pforte, after Byron (n.d.), and Kranion (Erfurt, 1933), as well as a Sym., Himmelskonig mit musizierenden Engeln, symphonic poem, Ariadne, cantata, many choral works, and numerous songs. He publ. Die Behandlung der Stimme vor, während und nach der Mutation (Marburg, 1927).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire