Assessment
A critic for the Deutsches Museum of Leipzig, writing in 1781, called him "the foremost bass in Germany, and after Günther, the one who acts best." According to the Grove Dictionary, this was a generally held view: "In his day Fischer was regarded as Germany’s leading serious bass singer." Fischer could sing from a low D to a high A, and he controlled this extraordinary range with unusual lightness, purity, and precision. Reichardt said of his voice that it displayed "the depth of a cello and the natural height of a tenor."
Mozart was evidently delighted by Fischer's abilities. He added a major aria to the first act of Die Entführung, "Solche hergelauf'ne Laffen", explaining to his father by letter (26 September 1781) that "one must make good use of such a man"; adding that (as Clive says) "the new aria would provide an opportunity for Fischer's 'beautiful low notes' to glow."
Read more about this topic: Ludwig Fischer (bass)
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