The leading Wagnerian bass-baritone of his generation, his finest acheivements on disc range from Bach cantatas to Strauss and Wagner operas and Schubert Lieder.

A tribute by bass Robert lloyd

Hans Hotter was a remarkable singer, endowed with a uniquely resonant, free throated voice which is always instantly identifiable. As a young singer I had two recordings of Winterreise, one of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and the other of Hans Hotter. After the creamy, intense intellectualism of Fischer-Dieskau, which seemed out of reach, Hotter’s reading had a directness, a tender sadness which profoundly moved me and greatly shaped the way I wanted to sing. He coached me at one time on the role of Gurnemanz, and I came to understand the hugeness of his voice and the extraordinary skill with which he could refine it. The emotional impact of it was similar to the image of a very big man nursing a newborn baby. At the other extreme few will forget how he could shake the rafters with Wotan’s Farewell. He was a giant among singers. We are unlikely to see his kind again.

Recommended recording

Schubert Winterreise

Hans Hotter bass-bar Gerald Moore pf 

(Warner Classics)

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