HANS MOHWINKEL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 911, 22 August 1907, Page 17

HANS MOHWINKEL.

Our frontispiece this week is a picture in character of the magn ficent singer who so lately charmed us a'il at His Majesty’s Theatre in Grand Opera. li represents Herr Hans Mohwinkel as Der Fliegender Hollander;* It is one of Herr Mohwinkel’s favour! e roles. In this ■role, and those of Wotan in the “Walkure” and Hans Sachs in the “Meistersingers,” he stands unrival’ed :n Europe and he has appeared as a “star” in special performances throughout Germany, and the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, London. Aside, from the above parts he has been especially engaged to sing al! the leading Wagnerian parts; Don Giovanni, Almaviva, Tell, lago, and many other leading characters at the Royal opera houses in Berl n, Munich, Dresden, Karlsruhe, and Mannheim, as well as for the Wagner performances which were classed “Muster Vorstellungen” (model performances), and for which the greatest artists in Europe were engaged, regardless of expense. When singing in St. Petersburg Hans Mohwinkel was the recipient of special attentions and honours. It was n 1901 that he was engaged- for the Bayreuth Festival. He was one of the galaxy of stars gathered from all corners of the earth. Fate, however, served him a “rick, for, while as Telramund, he was duelling with Lohengrin, this last-nam-ed kn’ght, forgetting that he Icopld overcome his antagonist by the power of he Holy Grail, gave Hans Mohwinkel a blow on the nose with his sword, Which ended his performance, and caused him to be laid up for repairs for fourteen weeks. Mr. Mohwinkel still’’ carries the scare very prominently on h s nose. Frau Wagner, upon hearing of the sad affair, immediately wrote him a Oetter >of condolence regretting his inability to participate in Bayreuth, and added: “Th s accident has disturbed one of my happiest and best plans.” Thus Frau Wagner, to which we might add, that as a gem in the mediocrity of Mr. Musgrove’s stars, who disappointed us here with an annoying persistency, Hans Mowhinkel came as a waft of the Hes perides—A voice from the islands of the blessed—

“Noch einmals lai uns spraken, Goden Abend, Gode Nacht! Die Mand schient oop die Daken ; Uns Herr Gott halt die wacht!”