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. Siegfried (Wagner) Dass der mein Vater nicht ist 042194 91ac Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-02
2. Siegfried (Wagner) Doch heisse mich das (w. Henke) 3-44122, 17704L Grammophon, Berlin 1915-04
3. Siegfried (Wagner) Du holdes Vöglein 042195 88ac Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-01
4. Siegfried (Wagner) Ei, Mime, bist du so witzig (w. J Lieban & chorus) 044219, 282al Gramophone, Berlin 1912-10-11
5. Siegfried (Wagner) Er sinnt und erwägt with J. Lieban 044288 850m Grammophon, Berlin 1915-05
6. Siegfried (Wagner) Folge mir nur (w. Henke) 3-44125 17834L Grammophon, Berlin 1915-05
7. Siegfried (Wagner) Fühltest du nie im finst’ren Wald (w. Henke) 3-44124 17833L Grammophon, Berlin 1915-05
8. Siegfried (Wagner) Ist mir doch fast (w. Herwig) 3-44133 17835L Grammophon, Berlin 1915-05
9. Siegfried (Wagner) Lustig im Leid (w. Herwig) 3-44134 18524L Grammophon, Berlin 1916
10. Siegfried (Wagner) Schmiede mein Hammer (Schmiedelied) 3-42671 4716h G&T, Berlin 1906-09
11. Siegfried (Wagner) Sieh’, du bist müde with J. Lieban 044289 851m Grammophon, Berlin 1915-05
12. Siegfried (Wagner) Vieles lehrtest du, Mime (w. J Lieban & chorus) 044218 281½al Gramophone, Berlin 1912-10-11
13. Siegfried (Wagner) Wir sind zur Stelle (w. Henke) 3-44121 17703L Grammophon, Berlin 1915-04
14. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Inbrunst im Herzen 042366 94al Gramophone, Berlin 1911-12-13
15. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Nach Rom gelangt’ ich 042367 277al Gramophone, Berlin 1912-10-09
16. Tiefland (d’Albert) Schau’ her (Wolfserzählung) 042503 958½m Grammophon, Berlin 1916
17. Tiefland (d’Albert) Zwei Vaterunser (Traumerzählung) 042504 994m Grammophon, Berlin 1916
18. Tom der Reimer (Loewe) 042464 1258s Gramophone, Berlin 1913-11-12
19. Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Der alte Weise (w. Habich) 044311, 852m Grammophon, Berlin 1915-05
20. Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Doch uns’re Liebe (w. Denera) 044277 818m Grammophon, Berlin 1915-03