Franz Peter Meven (1 October 1929 in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

– 30 August 2003 in Waldorf near

Blankenheim, North Rhine-Westphalia Blankenheim is a municipality in the district of Euskirchen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Blankenheim is located in the Eifel hills, approximately south-west of Euskirchen. The river Ahr has its source in the ...

) was a German opera and concert singer ( bass).

Karl-Josef Kutsch Karl-Josef Kutsch, also known as K. J. Kutsch, (born 11 May 1924) is a German physician and co-author with Leo Riemens of the ''Großes Sängerlexikon'', the standard reference for opera singers. Life and work Born in Gangelt, Kutsch studied ...

Leo Riemens Leonardus Antony Marinus Riemens (3 December 1910 – 3 April 1985) was a Dutch musicologist and cultural journalist. He wrote a book about Maria Callas, and together with Karl-Josef Kutsch began a reference book about opera singers in 1962, which ...

: ''

Großes Sängerlexikon ''Großes Sängerlexikon'' (''Biographical Dictionary of Singers'', literally: Large singers' lexicon) is a single-field dictionary of singers in classical music, edited by Karl-Josef Kutsch and Leo Riemens and first published in 1987. The first ...

.'' Unveränderte Auflage. K. G. Saur, Bern, 1993, Second Volume M–Z, Sp. 1959,

Life

Meven began his career after studying

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

with a theatre sculptor at the

Cologne Opera The Cologne Opera (German language, German: Oper der Stadt Köln or Oper Köln) refers both to the main opera house in Cologne, Germany and to its resident opera company. History of the company From the mid 18th century, opera was performed in th ...

. Due to his habit of singing at work, his beautiful bass caught the attention of a singer working there, who recommended him to take singing lessons. After private lessons with Felix Knäpper and Robert Blasius he completed his education at the

Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln The Cologne University of Music ( is a music college in Cologne, Germany. Founded in 1850, it is Europe's largest academy of music. History The academy was founded by Ferdinand Hiller in 1850 as ''Conservatorium der Musik in Coeln''. In 1895 Ger ...

. At the age of 21 and only just working as a theatre sculptor, he married Erika Meven, née Klöcker, in 1951; the marriage produced four daughters. In 1958, Meven got his first engagement at the Stadttheater Hagen; from there his way led via Mainz and Wiesbaden to Düsseldorf, where he belonged to the ensemble of the

Deutsche Oper am Rhein The Deutsche Oper am Rhein (German Opera on the Rhine) is an opera company based in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. The opera also has an associated classical ballet company. Axel Kober has been its Music Director since 2009. The resident orchestra, t ...

until 1994. In addition, he has appeared on numerous guest tours to almost all renowned opera houses in the western hemisphere. His repertoire included all the great character roles of his vocal subject, as well as a multitude of oratorios and songs. Meven's voice, as heard on numerous records and CD recordings, captivated with its enormous radiance, a full, almost hypnotic timbre and great flexibility. Perfect singing and speaking technique, high musicality and an intensive acting expression made him an exceptional artist. Meven also found his expression in the visual arts: Parallel to his stage career, he devoted himself - albeit privately - to painting and sculpture.

References

External links

Peter Meven
on BMLO

auf der Homepage der Bayreuther Festspiele
Vickers & Meven - ''So ward es uns verhießen'' (Parsifal, Wagner)
(YouTube) 1929 births 2003 deaths Musicians from Cologne German operatic basses 20th-century German male opera singers {{Germany-opera-singer-stub