The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
EMIL FIsCHER,S BENEFIT.
To Sing Hnna sachs at the Metropolitan on
Tuesday for the 8stb Time.

Emil Fischer is the only one of the singers
notable here in the early seasons of German
opera who has remained in. New York. Lilli
Lehman. Brandt, and Alvary returned to Ger
many, but Herr Fischer has remained here ever
since, and before he had been long in this coun-
try decided to become an American citizen.
lie is the one singer in this country to-day
most closely connected with the history Of
German opera here and he is at the same time
an American citizen. Walter Damrosch, in
whose company Mr.. Fischer is now singing,
has arranged for a benefit performance to be
given on Tuesday night at the Metropolitan.
Then 'Die Meistersinger' will be sung, and Mr..
Fischer will, Of course. be seen as Hans Sachs,
one OF the characters with which his reputation
here is chiefly associated. Mr.. Damrosch and
MIR. Ellis have arranged this benefit to mark
the fortieth year of Mr.. Fischer's stage career
and to commemorate the ninety-6fth time that
he has sung the role of Sachs. Since he has
been in New York Mr.. Fischer has appeared
seventy-three times for charitable purposes and
has always been one of the first to volunteer
for such purposes.
Herr Fischer, during his forty years on the
stage, has acquired a large repertoire. He has
sung l65 different roles in lOl operas. Some
of these roles were: Rocco in 'Fidelio," Bar
toto In Figaro Don Juan in that opera, Col
ohn IN 'fienZi,,' the dutch MAJ in ''The Fly
ing Dutchman," L%dndgrdre and H'ol|ram In
"TAnnhhuser," King Henry in "Lohengrin,"
H0tdn in "Das Rheingold" and "Die Wal
knre,' Uundercr in 'Siegfried." Hagen in Got
terdammerung," Hans Sachs in Die Meistcr-
singer" Casper in "Freischuetz." Marcel in
Les Huguenots," Mephistopheies in Faust"
and Cdpntet in Romeo"
1t Is chiefly in the Wagnerian operas that
Herr Fischer is known in this country. He was
born In brunswick in 1910. When he was II
years old he made his debut AT Gratz. where his
parents lived. Both OF them were well-known
singers. His. father was Frederick Fischer,
the bass, and his mother. as Caroline Fischer
Acten. was a popular prima donna. He had
only three months schooling before he made his
debut in .Boildieu's opera, Jean dc Paris"
Later on he appeared in succession In Bruins
wick. Stettin, Hamburg, Dantzic. Berlin. Vienna,
st. Petersburg. and, in fact, at ali the impor,
tant theatres OF Europe, Fischer's last long
engagement, previous to his first visit to Amer
lea, was at the ROYAL Opera in Dresden, whore
he 10 crented the principal bass, parts in Wagner's
Trilogy, die Meistersinger" and Tristan
appearing In the famous casts with Malten,
Nanitz, Gudehns, Bulls, and others. In 1885
he accepted an engagement In New York at tho
Metropolitan Opera House. This vas the sec.
0nd year OF tho German OPERA, introduced there
by pr: Leopold Demrosch. Here he also Gre
ated the principal Wagner parts. together with
Mines. Lehman, Brandt, Seidel, and NM.
Niemann, Alvary, and Robinson.
IN all, the popular bass has sung in opera
3,i55 times. OF these appearances $40 were
made in America and All In the Wagner operas.