Gottlob Frick: King and Actor

Jürgen Kesting wrote in his monumental anthology Die großen Sänger (The Great Singers): “Those wanting to enjoy Gottlob Frick’s splendid powerful singing should listen to the recordings made in the 1950s, preferably those made between 1953 and 1957. These are the recordings that illustrate Wilhelm Furtwängler’s frequently-cited description, ‘the blackest bass’.” This is why these recordings form the heart of this 10 CD box set, featuring kings, priests and monks, dubious dark characters, fathers tangled up in fate’s tragic web, drunkards and common men who become dangerous through their pompous conceitedness. Despite its inherent strength and magnitude, Frick’s bass voice still remains flexible and listeners are presented with role portrayals both clear-cut and authentic. The orchestras accompanying Frick on these recordings also document the cities most important for his career: Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Vienna.