Description

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

 

 

 

 

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 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 leading tenor by the Damrosch Opera Company in North America. In 1898, he returned to the Hofoper in Berlin, where he sang until 1924. He quickly became regarded as one of the leading tenors of his generation.

At the Hofoper in Berlin, he participated in several significant premieres, 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 world premiere of the opera Der Wald by English composer Ethel Smyth. In 1904, he sang in the Berlin premiere of B. Smetana’s Dalibor, and in 1906, he performed the role of Herodes in the Berlin premiere of Richard Strauss’s opera Salome, a role he reprised at Covent Garden in London in 1910. In 1899, he performed in the Berlin premiere of the opera Mudarra by F. Le Borne.

From 1899 to 1909, he frequently appeared in Richard Wagner’s operas at the Bayreuth Festival. His international guest appearances included Covent Garden in London (1900, 1907, and 1910), La Scala in Milan, the Grand Opéra in Paris, the Vienna Hofoper, the Munich Hofoper, the Dresden Hofoper, the Frankfurt Opernhaus, the Stadttheater in Zurich (1905, 1917, and 1918), and the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels.

During the 1903-1904 season, he sang at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, debuting as Siegmund and later appearing as Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan, Siegfried, and Florestan in Fidelio. After retiring from the stage, he worked as a pedagogue at the College of Music in Munich from 1924. He was married to actress Margarethe Hofmann, who performed at the Hoftheater in Mannheim. His son, Richard Kraus (1902-1978), became a well-known conductor.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Lohengrin (Wagner) Das süsse Lied verhallt with Destinn 044057 542i G&T, Berlin 1906-09
2. Lohengrin (Wagner) Kommt er dann heim 3-42119 3067½L G&T, Berlin 1905
3. Lohengrin (Wagner) Nun sei bedankt (Schwanenlied) 3-42118  2566L G&T, Berlin 1904/1905
4. Lohengrin (Wagner) Nun sei bedankt (Schwanenlied) 4-42537, 14802L Gramophone, Berlin 1912-12-17
5. Lohengrin (Wagner) O Elsa, nur ein Jahr (Abschied) 4-42538 14801L Gramophone, Berlin 1912-12-17
6. Lohengrin (Wagner) Schwanenlied 12258 Edison 2-min cylinders, Berlin 1905
7. Lohengrin (Wagner) Wenn ich im Kampfe with Destinn 044056 543i G&T, Berlin 1906-09
8. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Am stillen Herd 3-42091 2465L G&T, Berlin 1904
9. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Am stillen Herd 42432  665x G&T, Berlin 1902
10. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Grüss Gott, mein Junker (w. Bohnen) 044293 992m Grammophon, Berlin 1916
11. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Grüss Gott, mein Junker with Bachmann 044086 342m Gramophone, Berlin 1908
12. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Mein Freund in holder Jugendzeit with Bachmann 044087 343m Gramophone, Berlin 1908
13. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Mein Freund, in holder Jugendzeit (w. Bohnen) 044294 993m Grammophon, Berlin 1916
14. Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) Morgenlich leuchtend 042280 511s Gramophone, Berlin 1910-09-29
15. Rienzi (Wagner) Allmächt’ger Vater (Gebet) 042405 639m Gramophone, Berlin 1912-12-02
16. Salome (Strauss) Salome, ich beschwöre dich 3-42709 2352r G&T, Berlin 1907-01
17. Salome (Strauss) Schenkt mir Wein ein 3-42708 2351r G&T, Berlin 1907-01
18. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns) Brüder, euer Klagesang (w. chorus) 3-42910 3269r G&T, Berlin 1907-08
19. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns) Haltet ein, meine Brer… Er wird stets bei dir sein (w. chorus) 042144, 042145, 267s, 268½s G&T, Berlin 1907-08
20. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns) Sieh’ mein Elend, Herr (w. chorus) 3-42909 3268r G&T, Berlin 1907-08