died
in 1889.

During the same period there flourished Karl Formes, one of the most
remarkable bassos of his time, who was popular in spite of the fact that
he frequently offended by false intonation.

Formes was the son of a sexton of Muhlheim on the Rhine, and was born in
1810. He gained the greater part of his musical education by singing in
the choir of the church. He grew up with a strong love for the drama,
as well as for music, and at the age of sixteen his enthusiasm was such
that when Essler, the actor, visited Cologne, young Formes, not having
sufficient money to pay both for the ferry and his ticket, tied his
clothes around his neck, and swam the Rhine, rather than miss the
performance. When Staudigl, the bass singer, visited the same city,
Formes listened to his singing with awe, and the next season he begged
to be allowed to sing the part of Bertram at the opera. This was one of
Staudigl's favorite roles. Staudigl, who heard the performance, was so
pleased that he introduced Formes as his successor.

Formes, however, first came into notice by singing at some concerts
given for the benefit of the Cathedral fund, at Cologne, in 1841. In the
following year he made his operatic debut, his success leading to an
engagement for three years. He then sang in Vienna, and in 1849 appeared
in London with a German company, taking the part of Zarastro in the
"Zauberfloete," at Drury Lane Theatre. The next year he was engaged for
Italian opera, at Covent Garden, and sang there every season for some
fifteen years.

He had a voice which, for volume, compass, and quality, was one of the
most magnificent ever heard, a stage presence handsome and attractive,
and exceptional dramatic ability.

Formes was a man of unsettled, roving disposition, and spent much of his
time in Russia and in Spain, but in 1857 he visited the United States,
and eventually began a wandering life in this country, going wherever
fancy took him, and singing in almost all the larger cities.

In 1882 he, being then seventy-two years of age, married a Miss Pauline
Greenwood, who had been one of his pupils in Philadelphia. Shortly
afterwards the happy couple settled in San Francisco, where he
frequently sang in concerts, and where he had a number of pupils. His
voice was wonderfully well preserved, and he was strong and active,
giving some fifteen lessons daily, until his death in 1889.

Niemann is authority for a story about Formes. Once when he was