Ernst Haefliger
Ernst Haefliger was one of the better known and more versatile tenors of his day. He was impressive both on the operatic stage and as a recitalist, and in each of these realms his repertory was broad, from Baroque era (J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion) to the contemporary (Boris Blacher's Zwischenfälle bei einer Notlandung). Haefliger received high praise for his Schubert lieder, particularly for Winterreise and Die schöne Müllerin. His 1949 Salzburg Festival debut as Tiresias in Orff's Antigonae received critical acclaim. Haefliger was probably best known for his Mozart (Pamina, Ferrando, Don Ottavio, and others), and for his portrayals of the Evangelist in the Bach Passions. He was one of the first tenors to record Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde in stereo (Bruno Walter, conducting; 1960). The tone of Haefliger's voice, while appealing, was generally regarded as not particularly outstanding; yet, because of his precision in articulation and deft sense for phrasing, he achieved a vocal style quite unforgettable, quite distinct from other tenors of his generation. Though most of his recordings are decades old, many remain available on Philips (the largest source), Decca, Sony, DG, Naxos, Orfeo, Berlin Classics, Preiser Records, Testament, and other labels.
Ernst Haefliger was born in Davos, Switzerland, on July 6, 1919. He studied at the Zurich Conservatory and at the Geneva Conservatory, where his most important teacher was Fernando Capri; he later took vocal lessons in Vienna from iconic tenor Julius Patzak. Haefliger debuted in 1942 in Geneva singing the Evangelist in the St. John Passion. The following year he joined the Zurich Opera, remaining there until 1952.
From 1952-1974 he was a member of the Deutsche Oper, but frequently appeared at other major operatic venues and in recitals and orchestral concerts. Many important debuts took place during this 22-year run, including at Glyndebourne (1956) singing Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Chicago's Lyric Opera (1966), in the same role, and Moscow (1968) as the Evangelist.
Haefliger remained active well past his 1972 retirement from the Deutsche Oper. In fact, he was singing Schubert's Winterreise in recital as late as 1995 (London's Wigmore Hall), when he was 76! Even after he finally retired from singing, Haefliger made concert appearances in speaking roles, as in the 2002 performance of Schoenberg's Gurrelieder at the Proms (in London), where he was narrator. Haefliger died in Davos on March 17, 2007.
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Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin, Ausschnitte (Stereo Version)
Ernst Haefliger, Jacqueline Bonneau
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Symphonie de psaumes - Kodály: Psalmus Hungaricus (Mono Version)
Ferenc Fricsay, RIAS Symphonie-Orchester, Ernst Haefliger
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Sep 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin, Op. 25, Nos. 15 - 20 - Schumann: 10 Lieder (Stereo Version)
Ernst Haefliger, Jacqueline Bonneau
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Quatuor du deuxième acte extrait de L'enlèvement au sérail (Mono Version)
Maria Stader, Ernst Haefliger, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Ferenc Fricsay
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Messe in C Minor, K. 427 "Grosse Messe" (Mono Version)
Ferenc Fricsay, Maria Stader, Ernst Haefliger
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Ernst Haefliger singt Arien von Bach und Handel (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Das Schaffen Johann Sebastian Bachs: Serie D. Passionen und Oratorien (Mono Version)
Ernst Haefliger, Orchestre -Bach de Munich, Karl Richter
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Das Schaffen Johann Sebastian Bachs: Serie D. Passionen und Oratorien (Stereo Version)
Ernst Haefliger, Orchestre -Bach de Munich, Karl Richter
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1900
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Das Schaffen Johann Sebastian Bachs: Serie D. Passionen und Oratorien (Mono Version)
Ernst Haefliger, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Günther Ramin
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert & Brahms: Lieder (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1958
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin, Pt. 2 - Schumann: Lieder (Mono Version)
Ernst Haefliger, Jacqueline Bonneau
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin, Pt. 1 (Mono Version)
Ernst Haefliger, Jacqueline Bonneau
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Ernst Haefliger singt Arien von Bach und Handel (Stereo Version)
Ernst Haefliger, Orchestre -Bach de Munich, Karl Richter
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Einem: Concerto pour piano, Op. 20 - Blacher: 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, Op. 54 - Egk: 4 Canzoni (Mono Version)
Werner Egk, Ernst Haefliger, Irmgard Seefried
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Ferenc Fricsay Portrait - Kodály: Psalmus Hungaricus; Symphony; Dances of Marosszék
Ernst Haefliger, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, RIAS Symphonie-Orchester, Ferenc Fricsay, Chor der St. Hedwig's-Kathedrale, Berlin
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peter Mieg: Tripelkonzert, Mit Nacht und Nacht, Morceau élégant, Septett & Cellosonate
Ernst Haefliger, Gunars Larsens, Wilhelm Gerlach
Classical - Released by Jecklin on 1 Jan 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Othmar Schoeck Plays Othmar Schoeck
Elisabeth Geri, Silvia Gähwiller, Ernst Haefliger
Classical - Released by Jecklin on 1 Jan 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Othmar Schoeck: Der Postillon, Op. 18 - Lieder und Chorwerke
Ernst Haefliger, Karl Grenacher
Classical - Released by Jecklin on 1 Jan 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Milestones of a Legend: The Lyric Tenor, Vol. 3
Classical - Released by Intense Media GmbH on 24 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Milestones of a Legend: The Lyric Tenor, Vol. 5
Ernst Haefliger, Solisten Gemeinschaft der Bachwoche Ansbach, Orchestre -Bach de Munich, Kieth Engen, Münchener Chorknaben, Karl Richter
Classical - Released by Intense Media GmbH on 24 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Milestones of a Legend: The Lyric Tenor, Vol. 4
Classical - Released by Intense Media GmbH on 24 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo