Karl Hammes


Karl Hammes was a German operatic baritone, also a fighter pilot in the First and Second World Wars. He worked at the Bayreuth Festival, in Berlin, Cologne, Salzburg and Vienna, among others.

Life and career

Hammes was born in Zell. After graduating from high school in 1916, Hammes began training as a fighter pilot in the Jagdstaffel 11. He ended the First World War in the rank of major. Afterwards he studied voice at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. He made his stage debut at the Cologne Opera in 1925. From 1927, he was a member of the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, where Otto Klemperer conducted. Also in 1927, Hammes appeared at the Bayreuth Festival as Amfortas in Parsifal and as Gunther in the Götterdämmerung. From 1929 to 1935, he was a member of the Vienna State Opera, with appearances at the Salzburg Festival, where he performed the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni from 1929 to 1931. From 1935, Hammes was a regular guest at the Berlin State Opera from 1935. He was appointed a Kammersänger.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Hammes was again drafted, as commander. He was involved in the bombing of Warsaw, and was shot down.
Hammes made only few recordings. He appears as Harlekino in a complete recording of Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss, recorded for on 11 June 1935, and as Don Giovanni in a recording of the Reichsrundfunk of 27 March 1936.. Hammes also took part in two films including Königswalzer.
Hammes died in Warsaw on 6 September 1939, at age 43.