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Kurt Moll is a German operatic bass, now retired.
His voice was notable for its range, a true infra-bass, including full, resonant low and very-low notes with relaxed vibrato; also for its unusual combination of extreme size and a purring, contrabassoon-like timbre. Although he was large enough for most of Wagner's noble-bass roles, he was not a thunderer and he never performed as Hagen, Hans Sachs, nor Wotan. His interpretations tended to be restrained and intelligent, even in buffo roles like Baron Ochs and Osmin. His recording for the Orfeo label of Schubert's philosophical "Lieder für Bass" set a new standard for these songs.
Moll was born in Buir, near Cologne, Germany. As a child, he played the cello and hoped to become a great cellist. He also sang in the school choir, the conductor of which encouraged him to concentrate on singing. He studied voice at the Köln Hochschule für Musik with Emmy Müller. He joined the Cologne Opera at 20 and remained until 1961. He then sang for three years in Mainz and five years in Wuppertal. In 1969, he accepted an engagement with the Hamburg State Opera, and he then sang in all the major opera houses of Europe.
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