GERMAN TENOR ERNST KRAUS (1863 - 1941) CDR

 

ERNST KRAUS (ERLANGEN, 8 JUNE, 1863 – WÖRTHSEE, 5 SEPTEMBER, 1941)

 

 

 

 

He was regarded as one of the best German opera singers of his time. He studied singing under Anna Schimon-Regan in Munich and later with Cesare Galliera in Milan. He made his debut in 1893 at the Hoftheater in Mannheim, performing as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. He remained with this opera house for three years. In 1894, he made his first guest appearance at the Hofoper in Berlin as Lohengrin.

During the 1896-1898 seasons, he was engaged as the first tenor by the Damrosch Opera Company in North America. In 1898, he returned to the Hofoper in Berlin, where he would sing until 1924. He quickly became one of the leading tenors of his generation. At the Hofoper, he participated in the premieres of several operas, including Der Bärenhäuter by Siegfried Wagner and Der arme Heinrich by Hans Pfitzner in 1900. On April 9, 1902, he created the role of Heinrich in the premiere of Der Wald by the English composer Ethel Smyth. In 1904, he appeared in the Berlin premiere of B. Smetana’s Dalibor, and in 1906, he sang the role of Herodes in the Berlin premiere of Richard Strauss’s opera Salome. He also performed this role at Covent Garden in London in 1910.

In 1899, he was part of the premiere of Mudarra by F. Le Borne in Berlin. From 1899 to 1909, he made repeated appearances in Wagner's operas at the Bayreuth Festival. He had international guest performances in London (Covent Garden in 1900, 1907, and 1910), Milan (La Scala), Paris (Grand Opéra), Vienna, Munich, Dresden (Hofoper), Frankfurt a. M. (Opernhaus), Zurich (Stadttheater in 1905, 1917, and 1918), and Brussels (Théâtre de la Monnaie). In the 1903-1904 season, he sang at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he made his debut as Siegmund and later appeared as Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan, Siegfried, and Florestan in Fidelio.

After his retirement in 1924, he worked as a pedagogue at the College of Music in Munich. He was married to actress Margarethe Hofmann, who performed at the Hoftheater in Mannheim. His son, Richard Kraus (1902-1978), became a renowned conductor.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

1. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Grüss Gott, mein Junker with Bachmann Gramophone 044086 342m

2. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Mein Freund in holder Jugendzeit with Bachmann 044087 343m

3. Walküre (Wagner): Ein Schwert verhiess G&T 042135 541i 

4. Lohengrin (Wagner): Gralserzählung Gramophone 042131 169s

5. Lohengrin (Wagner): Wenn ich im Kampfe with Destinn Gramophone 044056 543i 

6. Lohengrin (Wagner): Das süsse Lied verhallt with Destinn Gramophone 044057 542i 

7. Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Wie sie selig Gramophone 042279 510s 

8. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend Gramophone 042280 511s 

9. Siegfried (Wagner): Dass der mein Vater nicht ist Gramophone 042194 91ac 

10. Siegfried (Wagner): Du holdes Vöglein Gramophone 042195 88ac 

11. Frühlingsgespenster (Weingartner) Ich sass noch Gramophone 042465 1257s 

12. Tom der Reimer (Loewe) Gramophone 042464 1258s 

13. Evangelimann (Kienzl): Des Lebens ganzen Leidenskelch Gramophone 042331 92al 

14. Evangelimann (Kienzl): Was ich gelitten Gramophone 042332 93al 

15. Tannhäuser (Wagner): Inbrunst im Herzen Gramophone 042366 94al 

16. Tannhäuser (Wagner): Nach Rom gelangt' ich Gramophone 042367 277al

17. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner): Bleib' Senta with Kurt Gramophone 044201 96al 

18. Fliegende Holländer (Wagner): Fühlst du den Schmerz with Kurt Gramophone 044202 95al 

19. Siegfried (Wagner): Er sinnt und erwägt with J. Lieban Gramophone 044288 850m 

20. Siegfried (Wagner): Sieh', du bist müde with J. Lieban Gramophone 044289 851m 

21. Walküre (Wagner): Wunder und wilde Märe with Knüpfer-Egli & Knüpfer Gramophone 044170 514s

22. Walküre (Wagner): Künde nun, Gast with Knüpfer-Egli Gramophone 044171 529s 

23. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Sieh' mein Elend, Herr (w. chorus) Gramophone 3-42909 3268r 

24. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Brüder, euer Klagesang (w. chorus) Gramophone 3-42910 3269r

25. Lohengrin (Wagner): Nun sei bedankt (Schwanenlied) G&T 3-42118 2566L

GERMAN TENOR ERNST KRAUS (1863-1941) CDR

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