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Franz Naval

(October 20, 1865 - September or November 9, 1939)

Franz Naval was born Franc Pogačnik on October 20, 1865, in Ljubljana. His singing teacher Anton Nedvěd recognized his talent and urged him to pursue a musical career. In 1886 he went to Vienna to study with Professor Josef Gänsbacher. He took the name Naval on the advice of a friend. His debut took place at the Olomouc Theater in the role of Lyonel (Flotow: Martha) in 1888. The success was such that he was invited to Frankfurt am Main at once. There he remained for seven years before his engagement in Berlin in 1895. In 1897 he performed the role of Rodolfo at the Berlin and Vienna premieres of Puccini's opera La Bohème. In 1898 Naval took an engagement at the Vienna Court Opera but left in 1902 due to disagreements with Gustav Mahler. In the 1903/04 season, he performed at the Metropolitan Opera. His colleagues there were Emma Calvé, Johanna Gadski, Louise Homer, Enrico Caruso, Pol Plançon, Marcella Sembrich, Antonio Scotti and others. His early records date to 1901. He recorded the entire cycle of songs Die schöne Müllerin by Schubert and participated in the first complete recording of Mascagni's opera Cavalleria Rusticana as Turiddu (sung in German) in 1909. Naval’s active singing career lasted from 1888 to 1913. He kept ties with his homeland throughout his life. There are two recordings of Slovenian songs made by Naval in 1902, Pred durmi and Ljubici (the latter I could not find so far), composed by Anton Nedvĕd. They are most likely the first recordings of Slovenian song / Slovenian music. In 1924 he retired in Vienna and devoted himself to teaching. He died there in 1939.

some significant roles:

names:

Franc / Franz
Pogačnik / Naval / Pogačnik-Naval

a selection of recordings

Ambroise Thomas: Wilhelm's aria from Mignon (sung in German)

Franz Schubert: Die Nebensonnen - The Sun Mocks
from the song cycle Winterreise (D.911 No. 23). Piano August Pilz

Franz Schubert: Halt! - Stop!
From the song cycle Die schöne Müllerin (D.795 No.15). Piano August Pilz.

Franz Naval Youtube Playlist

37 recordings

a selection of photographs

Franz Naval as Grieux (Massenet: Manon)

ipernity.com (orig.source/rights: ipernity, OperaMania)

Franz Naval as Rodolfo (Puccini: La Boheme)

uni-frankfurt.de (orig.source/rights: Universitaetsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg Frankfurt am Main)
Urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:2-105897

Franz Naval as Duke of Mantua (Verdi: Rigoletto) ca. 1896

kultur-pool.at (orig.source/rights: ©KHM-Museumsverband)

Franz Naval as Georges Brown (Boieldieu: La Dame Blanche) in 1902

wikimedia (orig.source/rights: wikimedia, Axel Malmström)

Franz Naval probably as Manrico (Verdi: Il Trovatore) ca. 1900

kultur-pool.at (orig.source/rights: ©KHM-Museumsverband)

Playbill for the first Vienna performance of Puccini’s La Bohème on October 5, 1897. Franz Naval appeared in the role of Rodolfo.

theatermuseum.at (orig.source/rights: ©KHM-Museumsverband)

sources / links for further reading