The sepulchral German bass, a go-to for Kleiber and Karajan, has passed away aged 78.

The great German bass, Kurt Moll, has died at the age of 78. One of the most respected Wagnerian singers of his generation, his dark tone, notable bottom register and insightful interpretations ensured he was a favourite of conductors from Karajan to Kleiber. He leaves a fine discography documenting a broad repertoire that ranged from Mozart to Strauss.

Moll was born in 1938 in Buir, near Cologne and his first musical ambitions were as a cellist, but he was encouraged to focus on his singing by the conductor of his school choir, leading him to undertake vocal studies at the Köln Hochschule für Musik with Emmy Müller. Starting out as a jobbing house singer, his first position, aged only 20, was with the Cologne Opera where he stayed for three years. In 1961, he moved to Mainz for three years followed by five years in Wuppertal. His breakthrough came in 1969 after he joined the Hamburg State Opera, which led to engagements with most of the major opera houses of Europe.

Often described as an infra-bass (a singer with a...