Hans Clemens

Hans Clemens (27 July 1890 – 25 August 1958) was a German tenor who had an international career in opera and concert from the 1910s through the 1930s. He performed with several major opera houses, including the Städtische Oper in Berlin and the Metropolitan Opera. He is particularly remembered for his performances and recordings of Wagner's David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Mime in Der Ring des Nibelungen. After retiring from the stage, he worked as a voice teacher in Los Angeles.

Life and career Born in Gelsenkirchen, Clemens made his professional opera debut at the Cologne Opera in 1911 where he remained as a principal artist for the next ten years. In 1914 he participated in the world premiere of Humperdinck's Die Marketenderin in Cologne. He was particularly admired as David and as Mime in Der Ring des Nibelungen. Other Wagner roles there included Froh in Das Rheingold, the Third Esquire in Parsifal, Vogelgesang in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Walther von der Vogelweide in Tannhäuser. In 1936, he performed as David in a broadcast from the Met, alongside Friedrich Schorr as Sachs and Elisabeth Rethberg as Eva, conducted by Artur Bodanzky. When the recording was reissued, a reviewer noted: "Hans Clemens takes the part of David, a role he was particularly associated with at the Met, and it shows. This performance is six years into his Met career, and his confidence is most impressive.".

After 1939, Clemens retired from the stage and taught voice in Los Angeles where one of his pupils was soprano Marilyn Cotlow. He was married to soprano Wanda Achsel until 1933. He later married Cornelia Clemens (maiden name unknown), a voice teacher in the bel canto style of singing. They were together until his death on 25 August 1958 in Montrose, Colorado. Cornelia kept Hans’ memory alive while teaching her voice students in Ashland, Oregon, until her own death.

A 1936 Met production with Clemens of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, originally recorded for radio, was released on disc by Eklipse records. Naxos Records released a 1937 recording of Das Rheingold from the Met with Clemens on disc. Several other Metropolitan opera radio broadcasts of his Wagner performances are extent. He also recorded excerpts from Flotow's Martha for the Parlophone label.