Gerrit Visser

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Gerrit Visser, tenor

Gerrit Visser, tenor - (1887-1952)

Tenor Gerrit Visser was born on September 27, 1887 in Wormerveer, Noordholland. He studied singing at the conservatory in The Hague, where he finished his study solo singing on July 21, 1913. At the age of 30 he left to Germany and joined there one of the most important German Operas. The major part of his very successful career took place in Germany. He shined special in the Italian and French opera repertoire and appeared in many great theaters and opera house of Europa. In 1933, after the rise of the Hitler regime, Gerrit Visser was forced to leave Germany and settled permanently in the Netherlands.

Diploma Gerrit Visser, tenor


In the Netherlands he sang only a few times in opera, within the period 1924 to 1938. He appeared with the company Co-Opera-Tie in roles as Don José (Carmen, Bizet), Faust (Faust, Gounod), Tamino (The magic flute/ Zauberflöte, Mozart). With Opera Studio - of Paul Pella - as Sextus (Julius Cesare, Händel), Gabriel von Eisenstein (Fledermaus, Strauss). With the Wagnervereeniging (Wagner society) as Vogelweide in Tannhauser. These Wagnervereeniging was very critical with contracting singers. This means something about the quality of this tenor. Opponents of him in these period were a.o. Faniëlla Lohoff-Poons as Carmen, Helene van Raalte-Horneman as Marguerite (Faust) and Lea Fuldauer as Pamina (Zauberflöte).

Gerrit Visser also appeared as concert- and lieder singer. For instance on October 8th, 1937 he appeared with a lieder evening in Diligentia, The Hague. On the program where works as a.o. Schumann's Dichterliebe. He was accompanied on the piano by Bernard Tabbernal, his regular partner. Bernard Tabbernal - born in Delft - was not everybody, he traveled these days around the world as pianist and accompanist of famous artists as Tilly Koenen, Maartje Offers, Gerard Hekking, Georg Kulenkampff and Henri Marteau. He joined as major teacher the Rotterdams Conservatorium.

The war made an end at his career. Unfortunately, because at an age of 63 he was still capable to sing the high E in the famous aria from the Postillon von Longjumeau.


Gerrit Visser, tenor as Pinkerton

As Pinkerton in ‘Madame Butterfly’, Puccini

Affiche Tannhäuser, Wagnervereeniging


Gerrit Visser died quite unexpected at the age of 64 on February 22, 1952 at Wormerveer. There exists as far as I know no recordings of him. His daughter Ine, grown up with his music, inherited partly his musical talent. After receiving for half a year piano lessons with Bernard Tabbernal, she could accompany her father at an age of 14, a.o. in Schumann's Dichterliebe and Schubert's Winterreise, as well as in opera- and operetta arias and in cantatas and oratorio. Gerrit Visser also received a scholarship for one year at the Tekenacademie in The Hague and made together with his friend Cees Bolding a study journey through Italy. These Cees Bolding (l897 - l979) was a well known painter and just as his friend born in Wormerveer.

Ine told me that her father's voice concerning timbre and pronunciation for best could compared with the French baritone Gerard Souzay. Only this singer had a smaller voice qua volume. As she listens to records of Gerard Souzay - especially recordings of Schubert's Winterreise and Schumann's Dichterliebe - she hears again her fathers voice. A voice, when she was still a little girl, was sometimes afraid of, especially when he was studying dramatic opera arias.

 

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